China's investment in key energy projects reached a historic milestone in 2025, surpassing 3.5 trillion yuan ($485 billion) for the first time as the nation accelerates its transition toward a greener power grid, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said on Friday.

The record-breaking figure represents a year-on-year increase of almost 11 percent, significantly outperforming growth rates in the broader infrastructure and manufacturing sectors by 12.9 and 10.1 percentage points, respectively, it said.

Private enterprises have emerged as a primary engine for this investment surge. Investment by private firms in key energy projects grew by 12.9 percent year-on-year, according to Xing Yiteng, deputy director-general of the department of development and planning of the National Energy Administration.

This growth rate is approximately 2 percentage points higher than the national average for all key energy projects, signaling increased private sector confidence in China's long-term energy strategy.

The NEA also outlined aggressive infrastructure goals through 2027 to support the country's carbon neutrality ambitions, including plan to install 28 million charging units by the end of 2027, which is expected to mobilize more than 200 billion yuan in new investment.

The agency is also targeting a total capacity of over 180 million kilowatts (180 GW) for new energy storage by 2027. This expansion, coupled with power system optimization, is projected to drive approximately 250 billion yuan in related investment, it said.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn