About the lecture:

State Grid acquired assets and (stakes in) electricity companies in several EU member states during the last few years. Since State Grid is one of the largest companies in the world and at the same time a Chinese state-owned enterprise, its intentions and activities are met with both awe and alarm. The company’s strategy in the EU seems to be shifting. This lecture examines State Grid’s overseas activities and, specifically, its involvement in the EU electricity sector. It correlates the findings with the trends and progress of the EU low-carbon transition. The lecture argues that State Grid’s involvement in this evolving regulatory landscape and electricity infrastructure constitutes a “black swan” event that to some degree reshapes the discourse on EU electricity market integration.

The chapter can be accessed here.