Beijing issues plan pushing AI data centres to use green energy
Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · May 9
Beijing issues plan pushing AI data centres to use green energy
7 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · May 9
Four regulators issued 29 measures on Friday, making green electricity use a key metric for new projects and promoting cleaner backup systems instead of diesel generators.
The plan encourages operators to increase renewable power through green certificates and power trading markets, while promoting home-grown AI software and optimised domestic chips in the energy sector.
Officials aim by 2030 to deepen AI-energy integration as China expands computing capacity alongside renewables and tries to curb grid strain while meeting carbon-reduction targets.
As China mandates green AI, can its simultaneous coal expansion truly lead to carbon neutrality?
With Beijing forcing a switch to domestic chips, is the global dominance of firms like Nvidia in jeopardy?
China's 2030 Green AI Data Center Surge: Strategies, Innovations, and Global Impact
Overview
China’s data centre industry is rapidly expanding, with capacity expected to exceed 60 GW and electricity consumption set to more than double by 2030. To address the environmental impact of this growth, China is implementing a strategic green transformation centered on the 'East Data, West Computing' initiative. This policy shifts energy-intensive computing tasks from eastern economic hubs to central and western regions rich in renewable energy. By redistributing workloads and building new infrastructure in these areas, China aims to reduce the carbon footprint of its AI-driven data centres while ensuring sustainable and efficient development for the future.