The deficiencies in traditional switching operations have limited the development of modern power systems gradually. This encourages the utilization and promotion of the technology of sequential control and one-key sequential control in substations. In order to study the impact of this technology on the operation of power systems, it is necessary to summarize its construction and application in our grids. Nearly 70 items are chosen from hundreds of the relevant reference, involving regulations, handbooks, articles, and news, etc. After reading all of them carefully, the origin and growth of sequential control and one-key sequential control and their development and utilization in China are combed on time and districts to form a review, including the classification, characteristics, construction, and application. The results show that the switching operations of one-key sequential control may overcome the limitation of traditional ones, promote the reliability and stability of substations’ operation, meet the requirements for the modern development of power systems. Therefore, the technology of one-key sequential control has gained an advantage in its construction and application in substations with a good prospect.