A wind power plant produces power in Yancheng, East China's Jiangsu Province on August 5, 2024. In the first half of 2024, China's cumulative installed wind power capacity reached 466.71 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 19.9 percent. China's steadfast efforts in advancing clean energy and fostering global cooperation have emerged as a crucial driver propelling the world toward a greener future. Photo: VCG

Three central Chinese departments on Tuesday released an action plan to build a new power system, with a focus on the integrated development of computing power and green electricity.

The action plan, jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Energy Administration and the National Data Administration, outlines nine tasks that China will actively promote from now until 2027.

China will integrate the development demand of data centers and new-energy resources, and scientifically plan the layout of computing power and electricity infrastructure.

Efforts will be made to increase the proportion of green electricity in data centers. It will also focus on the recycling and utilization of waste heat resources from data centers to meet the heating needs of surrounding areas.

With a surge in artificial intelligence applications, data centers are among the sectors where energy use is growing rapidly in China, Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

"Therefore, it is crucial to support computing power with green energy to achieve sustainable development," Lin said.

China has unveiled an action plan on the green development of data centers, specifying a set of targets to accelerate the low-carbon transition of the sector, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

By 2025, the average power usage effectiveness of data centers, a metric for energy efficiency, will be lowered to less than 1.5, according to the plan issued in July. The plan also aims to increase the utilization rate of renewable energy in data centers by 10 percent annually.

Industry data show that China's total computing power scale ranks second in the world, according to the Xinhua report.

The plan also suggests improving the charging infrastructure network. Efforts will be made to improve the coverage of charging networks on highways, enhance charging services for holiday travelers and increase charging facilities in vast rural areas. 

The action plan clearly outlines the key tasks and development directions for the next three years, which will help promote the high-quality development of new-energy industries and play an important role in driving economic development, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"Improving the layout of charging infrastructure networks will promote the widespread usage of electric vehicles, drive the green and low-carbon transformation of the vehicle industry, and further stimulate the development of related industry chains," Wang said.