On September 10, 2019, (local time), Liu Zhenya, Chairman of Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) and Chairman of China Electricity Council, met with Thomas Kuhn, President of Edison Electric Institute (EEI), and Francis Bradley, Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Electricity Association(CEA) at the 2019 Global Grid Forum (GGF) held in Vancouver, Canada. Liu introduced the Global Energy Interconnection(GEI) Initiative and its latest progress, and exchanged views on building GEI and facilitating energy and electricity development in North America, especially in Canada, with important mutual understanding reached.

Accelerating clean development has become an international consensus, said Liu. As an important platform for the worldwide exploitation, deployment and application of clean energy, GEI provides a fundamental solution for addressing resource shortage, climate change, environmental pollution, health and poverty, and other critical challenges for sustainable development, and boosting the world’s energy transition and clean development.

Kuhn remarked that, building GEI and boosting grid infrastructures will not only promote extensive and efficient use of clean energy resources, but also reduce electricity costs and provide more people access to affordable power supply. Electricity enterprises in the US pay keen attention to grid interconnection issue, and endeavor to cut carbon emission and enhance clean development. Only via combining micro-grids with bulk grids can the US have a balanced and reliable grid system.   

The 2019 GGF marks a good beginning for mutual cooperation, said Bradley. North America Energy Interconnection Research Report released by GEIDCO at the forum is rich in contents and has high reference value. He hopes both sides will share information and research achievements, co-host conferences and activities, promote cooperation agreement and jointly deepen the cooperation between Chinese and Canadian electric enterprises in the future.

The 2019 GGF was jointly held by GEIDCO, CEA, EEI and other institutions. GEIDCO released North America Energy Interconnection Research Report at the forum. The report gives a systematic analysis on the clean energy reserves, distribution and electricity demand of North America, proposes plan and relevant key projects for North America energy interconnection, offering a solution for energy transition and interconnection in North America.