Computing Power Demand Surge Drives Up Data Center Energy Consumption and Electricity Demand

Ask AI · How can the collaborative policy of computing and electricity optimize data center energy efficiency?

【Global Network Finance Comprehensive Report】 Recently, Vertiv predicts that from 2023 to 2028, the global new AI computing centers will add over 100GW of IT load; IDC data shows that the energy consumption of AI data center IT will increase from 55.1 TWh in 2024 to 77.7 TWh in 2025, and reach 146.2 TWh in 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of about 44.8% from 2022 to 2027.

Huaxin Securities recently released a research report stating that the government work report first proposed the implementation of new infrastructure projects such as “super-large-scale AI computing clusters and computing-electrical synergy,” marking the elevation of computing power and energy system coordination to a national strategic level. Against the backdrop of rapid development of AI large models and digital economy, the explosive growth in computing demand is significantly driving up data center energy consumption and electricity demand.

Huaxin Securities believes that the rapid increase in electricity demand driven by expanding computing power has made energy supply gradually become a key factor restricting the development of the AI industry, and has also promoted “computing-electrical synergy” as an important policy direction. In recent years, the country has promoted the layout of computing centers in regions rich in new energy resources through policies such as “East Data West Computing,” green and low-carbon data center initiatives, and new power system construction. It has also achieved temporal and spatial matching of computing demand and new energy supply through green electricity trading, source-grid-load-storage integration, and joint scheduling of computing power and electricity.

From an industry perspective, “computing-electrical synergy” will promote the synchronized expansion of computing infrastructure and power infrastructure. Investment opportunities mainly focus on three main lines: green electricity and new energy operations, grid and electrical equipment upgrades, and expansion of IDC and computing infrastructure. The prosperity of related industry chains is expected to continue to improve.

In this context, Huaxin Securities notes that domestic AIDC bidding has recently begun gradually, with obvious development potential in HVDC/SST industry trends, high market space, and further value enhancement potential in the future.