Abstract: Intensive integration of information technology and energy technology is the development direction of energy industry at home and abroad. Based on modern communication technology and Internet technology，virtual power plants have broken through the geographical limitation through networks.The virtual plant integrates distributed renewable energy generation，energy storage，controllable load and other subsystems into a virtual entity to participate in transactions of the power market.And it provides capacity services and auxiliary services for the power grid，so as to improve the economy and reliability of the power system and facilitate the consumption and efficient utilization of renewable energy as well. The demonstration power plants in developed European countries and China were studied and compared from their key points， the core technologies and the practice effect.Consideration of the current situation and prospect of the energy industry in China，it is concluded that the technical route of European virtual power plants is more suitable for domestic power plants in the future，and reasonable suggestions for the key technologies and development direction of domestic virtual power plants are put forward .

Key words: virtual power plant, distributed energy, renewable energy, smart grid, electric power reform, communication technology, integrated energy, energy internet, micro-grid