China’s NDRC and NEA Back Energy Storage at 5G Base Stations in New Plan

The significance here is policy direction rather than any single deployment: Beijing is folding distributed storage into telecom and industrial infrastructure, which broadens the addressable demand base beyond utility-scale projects. The explicit mention of virtual power plants and green-power direct connection signals an intent to let storage participate in grid flexibility markets, not just sit behind the meter. Whether the plan translates into procurement and bankable projects, and how thermal and hydrogen storage are treated in practice, is the open question worth watching.