In 2026, China's power industry is undergoing a profound wave of intelligent transformation. Recently, State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) released its development plan for embodied intelligence, announcing plans to procure approximately 8,500 embodied intelligent devices this year, with a total investment of around RMB 6.8 billion. Including demand from other power sector enterprises, the total market demand for embodied intelligence in China's electricity industry is expected to exceed RMB 10 billion in 2026.
This initiative marks a significant shift in the role of artificial intelligence within the power sector—from being an enabling tool to becoming a critical part of the industry's infrastructure. As China's installed renewable energy capacity continues to grow and distributed energy resources are increasingly connected to the grid, the complexity of power system operations is rising exponentially. Traditional approaches based on manual inspections and scheduled maintenance are becoming increasingly insufficient in terms of coverage, response speed, and reliability. With their ability to operate around the clock, deliver high-precision performance, and be deployed at scale, embodied intelligent devices are emerging as a key solution to these challenges.
Enhancing Grid Operational Safety
The increasing integration of renewable energy sources introduces new challenges such as power fluctuations and harmonic distortion, requiring power systems to possess millisecond-level sensing and response capabilities. By embedding intelligent devices throughout the grid, operators can achieve real-time local analysis, rapid fault isolation, and faster decision-making, significantly enhancing the grid's self-healing capabilities and overall resilience.
Protecting Workers Through Automation
Embodied intelligent robots are also transforming workplace safety. By replacing human workers in high-risk environments—including high-voltage substations, transmission towers, and other hazardous locations—these systems can dramatically reduce occupational risks. Industry estimates suggest that worker exposure to dangerous operations can be reduced by more than 90%, while the incidence of safety-related accidents may decrease by approximately 80%.
Accelerating Domestic Technological Innovation
The large-scale deployment of embodied intelligence is expected to become a powerful catalyst for advancing China's indigenous high-end manufacturing capabilities. For many years, key components used in robotics—including high-performance servo motors, precision reducers, and AI chips—have relied to varying degrees on imported technologies.
With its vast operational network and rigorous technical standards, State Grid provides an ideal real-world testing environment for domestic suppliers. This extensive deployment serves as a valuable proving ground for Chinese manufacturers to refine and validate their technologies under demanding conditions. As a result, the market share of domestically produced harmonic reducers has increased significantly, while independently developed power-sector large AI models continue to lead the industry in specialized reasoning and decision-making capabilities.
As embodied intelligence becomes deeply integrated into power grid operations, China is accelerating the transition toward a safer, smarter, and more autonomous energy infrastructure, laying a solid foundation for the future of intelligent power systems.
