The electric power industry has taken advantage of power generation facilities to covert primary energy including coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydraulic power, nuclear fuels, wind power, solar power and biomass energy into electricity which will be supplied to terminal users through the power transmission system, power transformation system and power distribution system. China’s coal-centered energy structure has determined the dominant role of thermal power in the electric power sector. Coal consumption in China’s coal-fired power plants accounts for more than 50 % of the national total. Large amounts of water resources are consumed in the process, while great quantities of atmospheric pollutants, including ash, soot and sulfur dioxide are also generated. All these disadvantages make the electric power industry a prior field for China’s circular economy development, energy conservation and emission reduction. China now has the largest installed capacity in the world, and has already become the globally largest electricity producer. Therefore, the circular economy-oriented practice in China’s electric power industry will impose profound influence on the global resources and environment.