The article considers scenarios of the prospective interstate power grid (ISPG) expansion in Northeast Asia with possible economic recession in China because of COVID-19 and other factors. Features of optimization of new capacities addition of renewable energy sources in the ISPG are considered. A series of computational experiments with variations in the profiles of wind and solar power plants were carried out. The assessment of impact the intermittence of renewable energy power output on the structure of ISPG was evaluated, with taking into account of possible economic recession in China. A comparative analysis of solutions to the problem of optimization of intermittent generation capacity inputs for scenarios with the formation of an energy connection in northeast Asia and its absence is carried out. © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2020.