Chinese Grid Operators Resist 2030 Renewable Power Push for AI Data Centers
Updated
Updated · OilPrice.com · Jun 22
Chinese Grid Operators Resist 2030 Renewable Power Push for AI Data Centers
3 articles · Updated · OilPrice.com · Jun 22
Summary
Chinese grid operators and industry officials say Beijing’s goal of having renewables supply most AI data-center electricity by 2030 may be unworkable because peak demand is hard to predict.
State Power Investment’s Pei Shanpeng said data centers cannot easily shift loads, and costly GPUs push operators to run servers as intensively as possible, limiting flexibility needed to balance wind and solar.
The concern clashes with China’s broader strategy to pair its renewable buildout with fast-growing computing demand, including a 24-MW offshore wind-powered underwater data-center project in Shanghai Lingang.
China’s data-center power mix was still nearly 70% coal in 2025, with renewables at almost 20% and nuclear near 10%, according to the IEA, underscoring how far the sector remains from the 2030 target.