China’s data center sector is set to nearly double its capacity by 2030, a shift that will push power consumption to 289 TWh—about 2.3% of national demand—underscoring the growing energy footprint of digital infrastructure. Rystad Energy estimates that 28 GW of new data center projects will come online by 2030, adding to the 32 GW already installed at the end of last year. The build‑out will lift installed capacity to 40 GW by the end of this year, with AI and high‑performance computing facilities accounting for 39% of capacity this year and expected to rise to 48% by 2030. In the eastern provinces, the “East Data West Computing” strategy has spawned clusters such as Ulanqab in Inner Mongolia, where 21Vianet , Huawei and ByteDance have secured around 10 GW of projects. Meanwhile, Zhongjin has linked its Ulanqab base to 200 MW of wind, 100 MW of solar and 45 MW/180 MWh of battery storage, making it one of China’s first zero‑carbon computing projects. Simeng Deng, Senior Analyst, Renewables & Power Research at Rystad Energy , said, “Rystad Energy expects China’s power demand to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.9% through 2030.” He added, “Operators are not waiting for policy incentives or mandates to integrate renewables. They are increasingly combining different power sources, such as wind, solar and battery storage because reliable electricity and lower‑carbon supply have become business priorities.” The analyst also noted, “The integration of wind, solar and battery energy storage is emerging as a key model for the sector’s next phase besides grid connection.” China Mobile ’s Qaidam Green microgrid operates with 122 MW-peak rooftop solar and 75 MW/300 MWh of on‑site battery storage, while Tencent has combined rooftop solar, green power trading and GEC procurement at its Qingyuan cloud computing center. Operators are layering renewable procurement strategies—green electricity certificates, direct connections to off‑site wind or solar farms, and on‑site generation—to meet the 80% renewable target for projects in national computing hubs. With the data center boom, regional energy procurement strategies are shifting toward diversified, low‑carbon portfolios that can support the sector’s rapid growth while maintaining grid reliability.