China power data shows surge in renewable energy and AI-driven demand

China's power sector data reveals significant shifts in energy consumption and generation structures, reflecting broader economic transitions. As of late May, the nation's total installed power capacity exceeded 4 billion kilowatts. Notably, renewable energy accounted for over 40% of total power generation in the first half of the year, while coal-fired power's share dropped below 50% for the first time.

New energy loads driven by digital industries are experiencing explosive growth. Internet data services saw electricity consumption exceed 60 billion kWh in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of over 40%. Similarly, the charging and swapping service industry saw a 56.9% increase in power usage. The rapid expansion of the artificial intelligence industry has significantly boosted demand for data centers, with daily average token calls increasing a thousandfold compared to two years ago.

These trends highlight a shift toward high-tech manufacturing, computing power, and green energy. By July 2026, the national intelligent computing scale is projected to reach 2.45 million PFLOPS, with major computing hubs already accounting for over 85% of the nation's intelligent computing capacity.