Shandong Electric Power Corporation plans to invest 9.498 billion yuan (1.18 billion U.S. dollars) on grid construction in 2006.

The investment will help build about 1,725 kilometers of a 220 kilo-volt or over 220 kilo-volt electricity line with 14.25 million kilo volt-ampere transformer capacity.

A total of about 70 billion yuan (8.75 billion U.S. dollars) will be invested to boost the province's electricity grid in the coming five year, according to the Corporation.

The manufacturing industry has boomed in the province's eastern areas in recent years. But the eight major cities in east Shandong have limited power resources and the projects are expected to help transfer more power from the electricity-rich west to the east.