Calculating electricity cooperation to promote the revaluation of green energy value

Ask AI · How does the calculation and electricity collaboration achieve intelligent scheduling of electricity and computing power?

The long-dormant A-share green electricity sector has ushered in a “small spring.” Recently, green energy concept stocks have surged strongly, with capital flooding into the green energy track, many stocks doubling in price, becoming a major new theme in the capital market. Behind the strong momentum of the green energy concept, the explosive demand for AI computing power is profoundly reshaping the pattern of the electricity industry and driving a revaluation of green energy value.

Since last year, the green energy industry has been mired in “growth troubles.” On one side, installed capacity is expanding rapidly, with wind and solar new energy generation hitting new highs; on the other side, there is the dilemma of “producing but unable to transmit or use,” with some regions experiencing a significant decline in renewable energy utilization rates. Meanwhile, market-oriented reforms in electricity are advancing in depth, green electricity is leaving the “volume and price guarantee” model, and market trading prices continue to fall, with negative spot prices frequently appearing in many places, severely squeezing corporate profits. The dual contradictions of consumption and electricity prices have kept the green energy sector in a long-term valuation trough.

The turning point began with the explosive demand for AI computing power. Data centers, as “electric tigers,” have 24/7, large-scale, stable electricity demand, providing a new consumption scenario for green energy. This year, the “Government Work Report” for the first time included “calculation-electricity collaboration” into new infrastructure projects, promoting the deep integration of the two major infrastructure sectors of electricity and computing power. The National Data Bureau also explicitly stated that the proportion of green electricity used in new computing facilities at hub nodes must reach over 80%. As green energy shifts from an optional choice to a “threshold” for landing computing power, the market recognizes that green electricity is no longer just an energy supply but also a fundamental infrastructure supporting the digital economy, with its value logic undergoing a fundamental change.

The reason why computing power can leverage the revaluation of green energy value lies in its ability to directly address the pain points of the green energy industry from both physical consumption and economic value levels.

From the physical consumption perspective, AI computing power provides a stable “outlet” for green energy. It is estimated that by 2030, China’s data centers will consume over 700 billion kWh of electricity, accounting for more than 5% of total social electricity consumption. As artificial intelligence technology continues to iterate, its demand for electricity seems endless. This massive, stable load is highly compatible with surplus electricity from large-scale wind and solar bases in the northwest. Computing power is expected to become a super consumer of green energy.

From the economic value perspective, computing power promotes the monetization of green energy environmental premiums. Innovative power supply models such as direct connection of green energy can better meet the high requirements of data centers for supply stability and low-carbon attributes. This “point-to-point” power supply bypasses grid congestion and intermediate links, allowing green energy companies to directly connect with high-value users and lock in higher project returns. As a high-quality user, computing centers can further mitigate electricity price fluctuation risks through long-term power purchase agreements. The environmental value of green energy is no longer just a paper concept but is transformed into tangible benefits.

Calculation-electricity collaboration is not simply about physical connection; its core lies in collaboration rather than bundling. The true revaluation of value is built on the deep integration of computing power scheduling and electricity dispatch. Computing centers can flexibly adjust loads—adding during peak output and reducing during troughs—to realize “more electricity, then compute; less electricity, then slow down,” improving green energy consumption efficiency. Green energy companies can rely on integrated wind, solar, and storage configurations to provide stable and reliable power to computing centers, while also participating in ancillary services such as peak shaving and frequency regulation through virtual power plant technology, expanding profit channels. This intelligent collaboration transforms green energy from a single power generation entity into a comprehensive energy service provider.

It is important to emphasize that calculation-electricity collaboration must beware of the “pseudo-collaboration” trap. Currently, some projects claim to be calculation-electricity collaboration but are actually high-energy-consuming, low-efficiency traditional expansions that neither achieve direct green energy supply nor improve energy utilization efficiency. Such projects cannot solve the green energy dilemma and may even exacerbate resource waste. Genuine calculation-electricity collaboration must focus on high efficiency and true green attributes, achieved through technological innovation and mode optimization, to realize deep integration of energy and digital.

In the face of industry transformation brought by calculation-electricity collaboration, green energy companies need to accelerate their transformation—from resource developers to energy service providers—to seize opportunities in the new wave of value revaluation. Prioritize deployment in areas close to computing hubs with conditions for direct green energy supply, and increase wind, solar, and storage integration to enhance power regulation capacity. Actively participate in green energy and green certificate trading, sign long-term power purchase agreements with high-quality users like computing centers to hedge against electricity price fluctuations and ensure stable revenue growth. Leverage electricity data advantages to provide low-carbon computing solutions, shifting from selling electricity to selling services. Use virtual power plants, intelligent dispatching, and other technologies to participate in the auxiliary services market, explore the multiple values of green energy, and achieve a transition from single power generation to comprehensive energy services.

“The end of computing power is electricity, and the end of electricity is green energy.” Under the promotion of calculation-electricity collaboration, the green energy industry is迎来 a delayed but crucial revaluation of value. Operators with location advantages, strong regulation capabilities, and deep participation in calculation-electricity collaboration will stand out, gaining market recognition and valuation uplift. (Source: Economic Daily, Author: Wang Yichen)