If the green electricity fails to meet the standards, even if there is enough money, the computing power project cannot be built.
Since May, infrastructure projects for computing power and new power networks in many places have entered the stages of filing and tendering in a concentrated manner. Different from before, many localities have begun to raise the access thresholds for new computing power projects.
“New large-scale computing power centers must achieve green power supply and energy storage support. Projects that do not meet the standards will not be filed or connected to the power grid directly,” said Yu Kezhang, the person in charge of a local development and reform commission department in charge of coordinating computing power infrastructure and new power network projects, giving an example to a reporter from Economic Observer. The local government where he is located has been implementing a set of strict access standards.
“The old approach of building computer rooms first and then finding power sources won't work anymore,” Yu Kezhang told the reporter from Economic Observer. He said that the new regulations are not simply about raising the access threshold. The core is to end the scattered and self-built growth state of the industry and promote the computing power construction to enter a standardized operation stage of overall layout according to standards and carrying capacity.
On May 9th, the State Council Executive Meeting clearly proposed to “strengthen the planning and construction of water networks, new power grids, computing power networks, new-generation communication networks, urban underground pipe networks, logistics networks, etc.”
On May 8th, the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Energy Administration, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the National Data Bureau issued the “Action Plan for Promoting the Two-way Empowerment of Artificial Intelligence and Energy” (Guonengfa Keji [2026] No. 34), which mentioned that “continuously increase the proportion of green power in computing power facilities. Strengthen the guidance on the layout planning of computing power facility projects, take the proportion of green power use as an important reference indicator, and enhance the supply level of green computing power.”
In comparison, Yu Kezhang said that the previous “build first and then match” model was compliant under the then policy framework and belonged to the extensive stage in the early development of the industry. However, with the promotion of dual control of energy consumption and the transformation to green power, the contradiction between disorderly construction and misallocation of energy resources has become prominent, which is the direct background for this policy intensification.
Under the superposition of policies, an industrial change driven by the “synergy between computing and power” standard is accelerating implementation at the tendering and construction sites of relevant projects in May.
No filing without green power support
“Not all new or renovated large and medium-sized computing power center projects can be built just because you want to or have money,” Yu Kezhang said frankly to the reporter from Economic Observer when talking about the recent changes in project approval. He said that the rules of the game have changed.
In the past few years, many places have swarmed to launch data center projects, but problems such as scattered layout and out-of-control energy consumption have been exposed. After some small computing power parks were built, they faced the dilemma of power restrictions and lack of green power due to the lack of supporting power grid, resulting in a high vacancy rate. On the other hand, a large amount of green power generated by wind and solar power in the northwest region cannot be sent out or stored, resulting in a serious phenomenon of wind and solar curtailment.
“The logic of the top-level design has changed,” Yu Kezhang said. According to the requirements of the “Action Plan for Promoting the Two-way Empowerment of Artificial Intelligence and Energy” (Guonengfa Keji [2026] No. 34) issued by the four national departments, which states that “in combination with the carrying capacity of regional energy, water resources, etc., explore the coordinated construction of million-kilowatt-level artificial intelligence computing power facilities and supporting energy systems, select regions with suitable conditions for pilot projects, and promote the integrated development of computing and power synergy,” the local government where he is located has begun to require all new large and medium-sized computing power centers to submit a “computing and power synergy” plan simultaneously when applying for filing, clearly stating the capacity of the supporting power grid connection and power supply guarantee. Power grid enterprises should get involved in the planning in advance. “Determine the carrying capacity of the power grid first, and then approve the scale of computing power construction to avoid blind launches.”
Yu Kezhang gave an example. In the past, the regulatory authorities only had advocacy goals for green power, with no mandatory proportion, no agreement requirements, and no connection with approval. It was mostly a requirement of “encouraging improvement and guiding the proportion.” Enterprises could apply as long as they had money and land, and the requirements for energy consumption and green power were flexible.
Now, after the issuance of the “Action Plan for Promoting the Two-way Empowerment of Artificial Intelligence and Energy” (Guonengfa Keji [2026] No. 34), the local government where he is located has for the first time clearly defined the proportion of green power as the core reference indicator for layout. The supporting local detailed rules are directly linked to filing, and the bottom line for green power is clear. It has changed from a “bonus item” to a “must-answer question,” and the competition for resources has become increasingly fierce.
He said, “Put simply, having money is not enough now. You must first pass the strict tests of energy carrying capacity, green power, and energy storage. The approval has changed from loose approval in the past to strict compliance review with a one-vote veto system.”
Yu Kezhang explained the specific detailed rules to the reporter. For new large-scale computing power centers, the annual proportion of green power use must reach the specified bottom line from the date of operation and increase year by year. Enterprises must sign long-term direct green power purchase agreements and cannot rely on thermal power as a backup.
He said, “If the green power ratio is not met, the energy consumption index will not be approved, and the project cannot be implemented at all.” At the same time, large-scale computing power centers must build energy storage facilities according to a certain proportion of the electricity load to undertake peak shaving and backup power functions. These facilities should be planned, constructed, and connected to the grid simultaneously with the computing power center and be included in the unified dispatching of the power grid.
“The previous construction standards were flexible, but now they are rigid,” a person in charge of the power department of a local energy bureau also confirmed to the reporter. The core difference is that in the past, the scale was approved first, and the energy was supplemented later. The energy support could be delayed or compromised. Now, the energy is verified first, and then the rules are determined. Any computing power project that fails to meet the PUE value (Power Usage Effectiveness, which is the ratio of the total energy consumption of the data center to the energy consumption of IT equipment. The closer the value is to 1, the higher the energy utilization efficiency of the computer room), the proportion of green power, or does not have supporting energy storage will be rejected. “We control risks at the source and will never allow the new problem of ‘computer rooms without green power’ to occur.”
Power grid companies start to rush the construction schedule
As the rules have changed, the construction pace has also accelerated. A reporter from Economic Observer learned that in order to ensure that computing power projects have electricity when they start construction, the power system is advancing the progress.
“Our core goal is to ensure that all power grid support is ready before the construction of computing power projects starts. It's better to let the electricity wait for the computing power than to hold back,” said Lu Zhongjian, a person in charge of the infrastructure department of a provincial power grid company in a southern city, giving a clear time node in an interview with the reporter.
In the first quarter of this year, the company, in cooperation with local development and reform departments and energy departments, conducted a full-coverage load calculation of the computing power hub nodes in its jurisdiction.
Lu Zhongjian revealed that the annual infrastructure investment structure of the provincial company has changed significantly this year. About 40% to 50% of the funds are directly invested in the supporting power grids and direct green power supply lines of the computing power hubs. “The preliminary procedures in the first quarter have been 100% completed, and it is directly ready for tendering and construction,” he said.
In May, these projects entered the concentrated implementation period. Lu Zhongjian decomposed the construction schedule for the reporter. For example, at the end of April, the first batch of main equipment worth over 7 billion yuan was tendered, including 500-kilovolt transformers and combined electrical appliances. In the first ten days of May, the supporting substations of the first three provincial computing power hubs and four direct green power supply lines started construction in a concentrated manner. From late May to June, the remaining supporting substations for edge computing power parks and energy storage grid-connection projects will also start construction.
He said, “By the end of the second quarter, we must ensure that 100% of the computing power supporting projects start construction and form physical workload, which is one month ahead of the original plan at the beginning of the year.”
The person in charge of the power department of the local energy bureau explained to the reporter why such great efforts are being made. The electricity load of a large intelligent computing center is equivalent to that of a small and medium-sized city, but its requirements for power quality are “top-notch.”
The person in charge said, “If the computing power stops for one hour, the loss may reach tens of millions of yuan. The ordinary power grid cannot meet the requirements. There are extremely high standards for voltage fluctuation and harmonic content, and only high-specification power grids such as 500-kilovolt double-circuit lines can guarantee it.” Therefore, direct green power supply has become the optimal solution. By setting up special lines, the electricity from wind and solar power can be directly sent to the computing power computer rooms, which can not only stably supply green power but also reduce the electricity price cost by 20% to 30%.
Currently, the eastern provinces and cities have dense loads, scarce green power resources, and fierce competition for indicators, making it much more difficult to implement projects. In contrast, the western provinces and cities are rich in wind and solar resources and have sufficient green power, becoming the preferred regions for computing power projects under the policy guidance. The industry is accelerating its westward shift.
“We are using the system to speed up and ensure the acceleration of project implementation,” the person in charge said. Now he has to hold coordination meetings with power grid companies and computing power enterprises every week. The core is to solve the problem of “cross-construction” between substations and computer rooms to ensure that when the computing power center is built, the electricity is already waiting at the door.
The platform lays the foundation, and enterprises play the leading role
As the construction threshold is raised and the investment volume suddenly increases, a clear division of labor in the industrial chain has emerged. From the scattered self-construction in the past to the high-standard and large-scale planning and layout now, the roles of various market players are being redefined.
“The platform and framework of infrastructure are naturally suitable for enterprises like power grid companies to handle; the equipment, engineering, and technical support are the domain of market-oriented enterprises. This is not determined by anyone but a natural choice for project implementation,” Lu Zhongjian analyzed.
This logic is very clear at the practical level. The investment scale of UHV support and the upgrade of 500-kilovolt backbone power grids often reaches billions or even tens of billions of yuan and involves cross-regional coordination. Power grid companies play the roles of the owner and the general commander. On the equipment and engineering sides, a market-oriented competition dominated by bidding is underway.
“The tender volume of supporting energy storage, direct green power lines, supporting power grids, power equipment, and other computing and power synergy supporting projects for computing power centers in the second quarter has increased significantly compared with the same period last year,” a project manager of a private enterprise in the energy storage field told the reporter. He said that there are more and more tender documents for energy storage support for computing power parks recently, and the requirements are extremely strict. “In the past, it might have been just a simple purchase of battery cabinets. Now, the owner clearly requires that the energy storage system must have the ability to be connected to the unified dispatching of the power grid, support millisecond-level response, and provide an overall demand-side response plan.” He believes that such technical thresholds have directly eliminated some small manufacturers that used to survive on low prices, which is a long-term benefit for enterprises with technical reserves.
Not only energy storage but also computing power itself is becoming a “helper” for the power grid. According to the person in charge of the infrastructure department of the power grid company, some non-real-time computing power tasks such as AI (artificial intelligence) training and data rendering are being included in the power grid's demand response system. During peak electricity consumption, these computing power loads can actively reduce power consumption and participate in “peak shaving,” and operate at full load during off-peak hours. This two-way interaction of “computing power helps the power grid with peak shaving, and the power grid ensures the electricity consumption of computing power” has also become a new normal in the operation of computing and power synergy.
Yu Kezhang summarized that the implementation of this round of computing power infrastructure and new power network projects seems to be driven by investment on the surface, but in essence, it is about setting standards, establishing rules, and defining the track. Yu Kezhang said, “We do a good job in planning and carrying capacity, and enterprises do a good job in technical support. Everyone has their own responsibilities. Whoever sets up the standards first and builds the foundation well will gain an advantage in the future digital economy competition.”
Public information shows that during the Two Sessions in 2026, the National Development and Reform Commission announced that in key areas such as the “six networks” including water networks, power grids, computing power networks, new communication networks, urban underground pipe networks, and logistics networks, as well as comprehensive three-dimensional transportation facilities, infrastructure, and public service facilities in consumption, low-altitude areas, “artificial intelligence +,” education, and medical care, the estimated investment this year will exceed 7 trillion yuan.
This article is from the WeChat official account “Economic Observer”. Author: Wang Yajie. Republished by 36Kr with permission.