Shanxi upgrading industrial landscape

As China's digital economy expands, the rapid growth of artificial intelligence is driving a surge in computing demand. And, because data centers are highly energy-intensive, the relationship between electricity, carbon emissions and computing power has become a priority for provincial planners.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), electricity consumption by Shanxi's internet data services sector — primarily data centers — multiplied by 27.7 times, maintaining an average annual growth rate of 94 percent.

From January to July this year, the sector's power consumption exceeded 4.6 billion kWh, a 22 percent year-on-year increase, accounting for more than half of the province's total incremental electricity demand. "Computing power is fundamentally altering Shanxi's electricity consumption structure. The deep integration of electricity, carbon management and computing is now an operational imperative," Dong said.

To support this demand, Shanxi is building an integrated "wind-solar-coal-storage" energy system. The province is accelerating the construction of ultra-high voltage transmission corridors, including the Datong-to-Tianjin South line, while aiming to establish 3 million kilowatts of virtual power plant regulation capacity by 2030 to intelligently manage grid loads.

Looking ahead, the Shanxi provincial government has outlined a comprehensive strategy for the 15th Five-Year Plan, focusing on security resilience, green decarbonization, industrial clustering and system integration.

To ensure baseline energy security, the province plans to construct an additional 200 intelligent mines and increase unconventional natural gas output to 30 billion cubic meters by 2030.

In terms of renewables, Shanxi will prioritize scale and centralization, developing major wind and solar bases in the Jinbei coal subsidence area and the Xinzhou comprehensive energy base, with a goal to add 100 million kW of renewable energy capacity over the next five years.

Furthermore, the recently issued development plan for the Shanxi Central City Cluster aims to optimize coal development layouts while expanding regional multi-energy complementation. The plan encourages cross-regional cooperation among new energy generation and equipment manufacturing enterprises to synchronize power production with local consumption.

"The task for new energy sources like wind and solar is to lead the charge in decarbonization," said Lin. "Meanwhile, the role of traditional coal power during this transition period is to strictly guard the baseline of power security. When renewable generation is strong, coal power steps back; when the grid faces capacity constraints, it serves as the essential backup."