On January 17, 1997 (the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month), the State Electric Power Company was established.

In January 1997, the National Electric Power Company was established. Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, wrote an inscription for the establishment of the company: "Develop the electric power industry and make new contributions to the sustained, rapid and healthy development of the national economy and social progress" and expressed warm congratulations.

On January 17, at the seminar on the reform of the power system, Prime Minister Li Ping pointed out that the establishment of a national power company is the need to deepen the reform of the economic system.

The State Electric Power Company is established in accordance with relevant national laws, regulations and the principle of separation of government and enterprises. It is authorized by the State Council to operate state-owned assets under the Ministry of Electric Power. It is an economic entity that operates cross-regional power transmission and an enterprise legal person that manages the State Grid in a unified way. It is operated and managed according to the enterprise group model. The establishment of the State Electric Power Company marks an important step in my country's electric power industry management system from a planned economy to a socialist market economy, and will play an important role in promoting the national electric power interconnection and realizing the rational allocation of energy resources. The symposium was held in the conference room of the State Council in Zhongnanhai, and Vice Premier Wu Bangguo presided over the meeting.

After listening to reports from Shi Dazhen, general manager of the State Power Company, and some heads of electric power enterprises, Premier Li Peng pointed out that the establishment of the State Power Company is not only to meet the needs of the electric power industry management system to meet the needs of the market economy, but also to reform government institutions, promote the transformation of management functions, and implement the separation of government and enterprises. Other professional economic departments of the state should further deepen the reform, gradually reorganize them into economic entities without government functions, or change them into units authorized by the state to operate state-owned assets, or into industry management organizations, and transfer the original government management functions to the comprehensive government departments. Therefore, the establishment of the State Power Company is a deepening of the reform of government institutions. The State Council summarized the experience of past institutional reforms and listened to the opinions of various provinces and cities, and decided to carry out the reform of the electric power system in two steps to achieve a good connection and a smooth transition.

Li Peng said that the establishment of the State Electric Power Company is to further promote the establishment of a modern enterprise system, establish a new enterprise mechanism, and inject new economic vitality into electric power enterprises. It is also conducive to mobilizing the enthusiasm of all parties to run electricity, better implement the policy of multi-company and multi-channel financing to run electricity, accelerate the development of the electric power industry, and better play the leading role of the electric power industry in the national economy.

Li Peng pointed out that according to the distribution of China's energy resources, it is necessary to gradually increase the proportion of hydropower and pit-head power stations, so it is necessary to strengthen the construction of cross-regional power grids. The establishment of the State Electric Power Company will make full use of energy resources and meet the demand for electricity of national economic and social development.

Li Ping said that after the establishment of the national power company, it is necessary to deal with the relationship with the provinces and cities, but also to deal with the relationship with the trans-provincial power group, provincial power company and subsidiary enterprises, and give full play to their positive role.

Li Ping pointed out that it is not only to accelerate the development of the power industry, but also to promote the transformation of the way of power industry growth. among them, a very important one is to realize the principle of development and saving, through technological progress, strengthen scientific management, reduce consumption and costs, improve the benefits of power generation, but also improve the benefits of electricity use in society.

Li Peng emphasized that electric power is a public welfare undertaking with a certain monopoly nature, which is related to national economic and social development and people's lives. Over the years, the fine tradition and rigorous and meticulous work style of "People's Electric Power Industry for the People" advocated by the electric power industry must continue to be carried forward after the establishment of the State Power Company, so as to better serve the national economy and the people.

A few days ago, Vice Premier Wu Bangguo unveiled the establishment of the State Power Company and made a speech. He said that this reform of the electric power industry system is an important adjustment of the production relations of the electric power industry and an important practice to achieve two fundamental changes. This reform is also an important step in the reform of professional economic management departments. The Ministry of Electric Power has changed from the integration of government and enterprise to only exercising the administrative functions of the government; China Electricity Council independently performs industry-wide management and service functions; The State Power Company is the investor, investment entity and asset management entity of state-owned assets defined by the State Council. He asked the Ministry of Electric Power to carefully decompose its functions in the next step and clarify the responsibilities of the Ministry of Electric Power, the China Electricity Council, and the State Power Company. Each responsibility must be completed to high standards and cannot be neglected. The State Power Company must complete the establishment work as soon as possible and strive to achieve standardized operations.

State Councilors Li Guixian and Luo Gan attended yesterday's symposium.