From April 11^th through the 15^th, the Strong Smart Grid Week World Leadership Forum will be held in Beijing, China, bringing together a wide variety of experts from multiple sectors, including utility companies, telecom giants, the international media, the government, investment banks and other major technology providers.

The goal of Strong Smart Grid Week is for participants to brainstorm and come to new understandings of China's electrical power industry, with a focus on the development of a smart grid in China and around the world.

Specific items that are up for discussion at the forum include long-distance UHV systems, advanced grid operation, the integration of renewable energy, storage of energy, cyber security and other related topics. The Strong Smart Grid Week forum is an essential part of developing a low-carbon economy and a sustainable society in the 21^st century. All around the world, the energy structure of developed and developing countries is undergoing massive changes to meet the demands of a growing population, unveiling an increasingly ecological energy revolution.

At the heart of these efforts lies the need to develop clean energy and ensure its security for future generations, addressing climate change and solving a variety of environmental protection issues. The power grid is central to all of these goals, making the Strong Smart Grid forum an important part of solving the challenges surrounding the entire future of the power industry.

China views the smart grid as a necessary option for the country's ability to move forward with sustainable development. In recent decades, nearly two-thirds of China's energy has been supplied by coal, which has contributed largely to China's status as one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses in the entire world. Since 2007 China has been committed to building a nationwide ''unified strong and smart grid'' system by 2020, incorporating thermal, hydroelectric, nuclear and other renewable power sources.