State Grid, China’s largest power distributor, will spend US$915 million to connect power grids in Tibet and Qinghai, one of 23 projects under the government’s "Go-West" development policy, the South China Morning Post reported. By connecting Tibet and Qinghai, Tibet’s power grid will be indirectly connected to other parts of the mainland, a move that will improve reliability during shortages or network failures; in some areas blackouts can last for as long as 10 hours a day. China’s western region is still largely underdeveloped with economic output roughly 40% lower than the national average with over 30 million people living in poverty.
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