LHASA, Jan.11,2021 -- "Several years ago, people barely purchased high-power home appliances because of the low voltage and the lack of electricity here," said Li Zi'e, the owner of an electric appliance store in Shiquanhe Township, Tibet's Ngari Prefecture.

 

With an average altitude of more than 4,500 meters, the harsh environment of Ngari Prefecture is known for its high elevation and low oxygen concentration.

 

 

For most people, there is nothing special about turning on a lamp at night or switching on an electric heater in winter. Yet, for the people of Tibet Autonomous Region, southwest China, their location meant that these trappings of modern life were all but out of reach.

 

The fates of the people of this region have drastically changed thanks to the introduction of clean energy and bulk grid construction, marking an end to this dark and cold chapter of history. Over the past five years, electricity consumption across Tibet has risen from about 4.05 billion kWh to over 8.24 billion kWh by 2020, an increase of more than 100 percent.

 

 

"With a stable power supply, we now have more customers. Air conditioners, electric heaters, and freezers are flying off the shelves," said Li.

 

Electricity has not only gone on to power home appliances but also better lives for those living on the plateau.

 

 

Before the peaceful liberation of Tibet, the region only had a small hydropower station with a capacity of 125 kilowatts. It only generated electricity, and even then it was intermittent, for the privileged few.

 

After the peaceful liberation, things began to change. Electric lights became commonplace for all in the capital city of Lhasa from 1960 when Ngaqen Hydropower Station was put into service. Since then, more stations, including Yangbajain Geothermal Power Station and Yamzhog Yumco Hydropower Station, have followed. In more recent years, large-scale photovoltaic stations have been added to the power network.

 

In 2010, China began the construction of three grid-interconnection projects that not only interlink places across Tibet but also connect the region to Qinghai and Sichuan.

 

 

In the background of these huge projects, Tibet started to develop its power grid to cover more and more rural and impoverished areas. By the end of 2020, some 3.3 million people have had access to electricity.

 

On Dec. 4, 2020, after years of isolation, it was the turn of Ngari Prefecture to be switched on, too, when a new grid interconnection project was put into operation.

 

 

"Electricity is related to not only economic and social development but also people's livelihoods and social stability," said Wang Gang, chairman of the State Grid Tibet Electric Power Company, adding that, looking ahead, sufficient and stable energy supply will continue to play an important supporting role for life and work in Tibet.