China’s AI Growth Complicates Energy Demand Forecasting as Data Centres Reshape Power Planning

Beijing, 29 June 2026 – China’s rapid technology expansion is making energy demand harder to forecast as artificial intelligence, data centres and advanced computing become increasingly important drivers of electricity consumption.

The shift highlights a growing challenge for policymakers and power-grid operators. Traditional energy-demand models have long been shaped by industrial output, household consumption, property activity, transport and manufacturing cycles. But the rise of AI infrastructure introduces a new and fast-changing source of electricity demand that can grow rapidly, cluster geographically and operate with high reliability requirements.