China's Computing Power Electricity Consumption Surges, Driving Computing-Grid Coordination

China's internet data service electricity consumption grew by 40% year-on-year in July, with computing power replacing seasonal air conditioning as the primary driver of summer load growth in regions like Changshu. Additionally, the country completed its first 100-megawatt-level computing-grid coordination test in the Jibei power grid, where 11 data centers quickly freed up 100.64 MW of power. As data center electricity consumption is projected to reach 800 billion kWh by 2030, integrating computing loads with power grids is crucial for maintaining grid stability and absorbing volatile renewable energy. This shift highlights the growing role of data centers as flexible grid assets rather than just passive energy consumers. The Jibei grid coordination utilized the concept of a virtual power plant, allowing computing centers to reduce their load within 10 minutes to support the grid during peak hours. Meanwhile, in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, the world's largest single intelligent computing center is testing a direct green power supply model using dedicated wind farms and AI-driven power systems.