The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting was held in Suzhou from May 22 to 23. A key reason for choosing Suzhou for this high-level international meeting is the city's continuously improving and tangible first-class business environment. Electricity is a crucial support for this favorable business environment.

According to the latest data released by the State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company, from January to April this year, the city's total electricity consumption reached 60.5 billion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 6.2 percent, 0.8 percentage points higher than the national average. Among these, electricity consumption in the computer and electronics, electrical machinery, and general equipment manufacturing industries, which are closely related to foreign trade exports, increased by 10.15 percent , 12.33 percent , and 12.13 percent, respectively, demonstrating a continued increase in production activity driven by foreign trade orders.

Reliable power supply allows foreign-invested enterprises in Suzhou to "dare to accept orders, dare to expand production capacity, and dare to invest in the future." In recent years, State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company has proactively integrated itself into the overall business environment construction of Suzhou, focusing on the full-cycle electricity needs of foreign-invested and foreign trade enterprises from establishment and expansion to green transformation. It has continuously improved the level of "access to electricity," establishing 20 "open-door power connection" demonstration zones throughout the city and taking the lead in raising the low-voltage access standard to 200 kilowatts, injecting strong momentum into the open economy. In the State Grid's 2025 electricity business environment evaluation, Suzhou ranked first in the province for two consecutive years.

While consolidating the power supply foundation, State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company has strengthened the planning and construction of the distribution network, establishing an "on-demand" investment project approval system for business expansion. In 2025, the average power outage duration was 0.37 hours per household, a year-on-year decrease of 75.25 percent.

Faced with the growing green energy needs of foreign-invested enterprises, State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company has built the nation's first regional market-based carbon trading system, established a one-stop carbon neutrality service center, and launched a "low-carbon electricity express lane." Green electricity is becoming a "green passport" for Suzhou's export-oriented enterprises to access the international market.

Looking at the entire province, Suzhou's practices are a microcosm of Jiangsu's continuous efforts to optimize its electricity business environment. In recent years, State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd., based on the realities of Jiangsu's open economy development, has deeply integrated power grid construction with the needs of foreign-invested enterprises, focusing precisely on reliable power supply, convenient services, and green transformation. In 2025, the province's green electricity trading volume exceeded 21 billion kilowatt-hours, ranking among the top in the country in terms of green certificate trading volume; it also established the first provincial-level carbon factor database in China to obtain international certification, and its carbon inclusive system was showcased at the 2025 Osaka World Expo.

At the same time, State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power is committed to building a robust backbone network, a smart distribution network, intelligent microgrids, and a comprehensive information network, deeply exploring the potential for source-grid-load-storage regulation, and promoting live-line work on a large scale. The province has not experienced a large-scale power outage for 51 consecutive years, with a power supply reliability rate of 99.996 percent  and an average annual power outage time of only 0.35 hours per household, effectively guaranteeing the full-load, uninterrupted power needs of foreign-invested and foreign trade enterprises.