Ranking · 2026 · updated
2026 virtual power plant adjustable-capacity ranking: Hubei and Shanghai lead
2026 ranking of provincial virtual power plant adjustable capacity, from official disclosures: the scale and scope for Hubei, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Shenzhen, Shandong, and Anhui, with national policy targets and market-reform progress.
| # | Brand | Focus | Volume | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hubei | Provincial (State Grid Hubei) | 2.0422 GW downward capacity | As of Apr 2025: 37 VPPs connected, 2,248 adjustable users, 20.5768 GW registered capacity | Jimu News / State Grid Hubei |
| 2 | Shanghai | Municipality (Shanghai VPP Management Center) | 2.0324 GW declared adjustable capacity | As of Aug 2025: 49 operators connected; single response of 1.1627 GW on Aug 14 | Shanghai VPP Management Center |
| 3 | Zhejiang | Provincial (State Grid Zhejiang) | 1.482 GW day-ahead adjustable (field-tested) | As of end-Aug 2025: 36 registered, 4,511 aggregated users, verified across 35 field tests | Chinanews / State Grid Zhejiang |
| 4 | Shenzhen | Sub-provincial city (Shenzhen VPP Management Center) | 1.30 GW adjustable capacity | Over 5.4% of city peak load — highest nationally; 60+ operators (Sep 2025) | Science and Technology Daily |
| 5 | Shandong | Provincial (Shandong Energy Administration) | >1.00 GW adjustable capacity | 44 VPPs built by end-Feb 2026; expected above 1.5 GW by end-2026 | Shandong Government Information Office |
| 6 | Anhui | Provincial (Anhui Energy Administration) | ~0.60 GW adjustable capacity | As of May 2025: 13 key projects connected, 9 already in demand response and green power trading | Anhui Energy Administration |
Data sources
- NDRC / NEA national targets: 20 GW+ VPP adjustable capacity by 2027, 50 GW+ by 2030 Guiding Opinion on Accelerating VPP Development (No. 357 [2025], published Apr 2025)
- Provincial official disclosures scopes and dates differ by province (downward vs declared vs field-tested capacity); comparative reference only
Institutions differ in scope and methodology; figures from different sources must not be combined when computing market share.
Questions & answers
What is a virtual power plant?
Per the NDRC/NEA definition in Document No. 357 [2025], a VPP uses information, communication, and system-integration control technology to aggregate distributed generation, adjustable loads, storage, and other dispersed resources, participating in power system optimization and market trading as a new type of operating entity. It builds no new generators — it aggregates and dispatches dispersed resources through software.
What national targets has China set for VPPs?
The Guiding Opinion on Accelerating VPP Development (No. 357 [2025], published April 2025) targets national VPP adjustable capacity above 20 GW by 2027 and above 50 GW by 2030.
Which provinces lead in adjustable capacity?
By latest official disclosures, Hubei (2.0422 GW downward capacity, April 2025) and Shanghai (2.0324 GW declared adjustable capacity, August 2025) form the 2-GW tier, followed by Zhejiang (1.482 GW), Shenzhen (1.30 GW), and Shandong (above 1 GW). Scopes and dates differ — treat the figures as comparative reference.
Which markets can VPPs participate in?
Under Document No. 357, qualified VPPs can join medium/long-term, spot, and ancillary-services markets as independent entities; provinces also run compensated demand response — Zhejiang expected about RMB 8M in summer-2025 response subsidies.
Why is Shenzhen considered the benchmark?
By September 2025 its VPP adjustable capacity reached 1.30 GW — over 5.4% of city peak load, the highest nationally — with 60+ operators cultivated, 150+ load-adjustment events since 2023, and direct economic benefits above RMB 200M (Science and Technology Daily).
How does a VPP differ from a conventional plant?
A conventional plant generates with physical units; a VPP adds no generation, instead aggregating distributed PV, adjustable C&I loads, user-side storage, and charging/swapping assets to be dispatched and traded like one plant — it is an organizational mode of power operation.