Analysis of the Impact of the AI Industry Boom on Power Infrastructure and Clean Energy Demand

Based on the latest data and industry research reports, I will systematically analyze the impact of the AI industry boom on power infrastructure and clean energy demand, as well as the investment prospects in the solar energy and energy storage sectors.

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The explosive growth of the AI industry is fundamentally reshaping the global energy landscape. According to estimates from McKinsey & Company,

[1]. This investment covers not only IT equipment such as chips and servers, but also large-scale data center construction, power equipment, and fiber optic network investments.

Goldman Sachs has sharply raised its forecast for global data center-driven electricity demand in its latest research report — by 2030, data center power consumption is projected to

compared to 2023, equivalent to adding the power load of another “top 10 global electricity-consuming country”[2]. Morgan Stanley has also warned that in the next few years, due to the explosive growth of AI, [3].

More critically, AI energy consumption is

[4]. By 2030, AI data centers may consume , and some estimates even suggest this proportion could rise to one-quarter[5].

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, put forward a disruptive viewpoint in a podcast conversation at the end of 2025:

. He pointed out that most people drastically underestimate the importance of energy — “If you can’t get electricity, no amount of chips will turn on”[6].

Musk used the gigawatt-scale AI cluster “Colossus 2” built by xAI in Memphis as an example to illustrate this dilemma: a 1GW electricity demand is equivalent to the load of a medium-sized city, and the local grid approval process even takes more than a year. In the end, xAI had to choose to build its own power plant — installing natural gas generators and matching them with a large-scale MegaPack battery energy storage system[6].

This case profoundly reveals the essence of the second half of the AI competition:

.

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Musk clearly stated that the sun is the ultimate energy solution. His logic is very clear: developing controlled nuclear fusion on Earth is as absurd as making ice with a refrigerator in Antarctica, because “99.8% of the mass in the solar system is the sun”[6].

From an economic perspective,

[2]. This means that when AI significantly drives up data center electricity demand, lower-cost renewable energy sources such as wind and photovoltaic power will naturally be prioritized.

Goldman Sachs predicts that to meet the future electricity demand of U.S. data centers, approximately 82 GW of new power generation capacity will be needed by 2030, with photovoltaic power generation expected to contribute about

[7].

Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP) technology is moving from science fiction to reality. First proposed in 1968, driven by falling rocket costs and the surge in energy consumption of AI/data centers,

[4].

In 2025, China launched a small-to-medium-sized experimental satellite (110MW class), achieving on-orbit conversion of a kilometer-scale array; combined with thorium nuclear technology, a GW-class power station will be built in the future. The significance of space-based solar power goes beyond “unlimited solar energy” — it reshapes the global energy landscape by providing continuous baseload power (99.7% availability), with an efficiency

[4].

Musk is also actively promoting the concept of space data centers. He predicts that

[3]. The reasons are: space solar panels can provide round-the-clock power supply, and the extremely low temperature in space (average -270°C) significantly reduces GPU cooling costs.

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According to the 2026 annual strategy report of Guotai Junan Securities,

[8]. The growth driver has shifted from the previous single goal of absorbing new energy to .

By region:

• China
  : Installations are projected to reach 250 GWh in 2026, a year-on-year increase of 67%. Policies have shifted from “mandatory allocation” to “profit-oriented”, and “Document No. 136” promotes the full-grid connection of new energy, transforming the energy storage business model from a cost item to an independent profit-making asset[8].
• U.S.
  : Installations are projected to reach 70 GWh in 2026, a year-on-year increase of 35%. AI data centers are expected to drive 18-279 GWh of energy storage demand between 2025 and 2028[8].
• Europe
  : Installations are projected to reach 51 GWh in 2026, a year-on-year increase of 55%, with the LCOE of solar-plus-storage already lower than that of gas-fired power generation[8].
• Emerging Markets
  : Installations are projected to reach 67 GWh in 2026, a year-on-year increase of 91%[8].

AI data centers face severe grid connection bottlenecks, and “electricity access speed” has become the top priority. Energy storage has evolved from a simple “backup power supply” to “active power supply”, solving voltage fluctuations through peak shaving, valley filling, and grid-forming technologies, and

[8].

At the same time, the global mismatch between “fast-growing new energy generation and slow grid construction” is worsening, and energy storage has become the only immediate solution to grid congestion. As weak grid characteristics emerge, grid-forming energy storage will spread globally from the UK and Australia, becoming a prerequisite for grid connection[8].

After two years of destocking, the lithium battery industry has officially entered a boom period of “active restocking”. The inventory cycle has ended, and the fundamentals show a trend of

[8]. As leading enterprises operate at full capacity, the industry has shifted from “inward-looking price wars” to “collective price support”, driving prices to bottom out and rebound.

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Based on the above analysis, investment opportunities in the energy and new energy sectors in 2026 are mainly concentrated in the following themes:

• Focus on midstream material segments with reversed supply-demand patterns: 6F, lithium carbonate, separators, electrolyte additives
• With the outbreak of demand and the contraction of capital expenditure on the supply side, supply-demand mismatch will reappear, and some segments will see both volume and price growth[8]

• Integrators and battery manufacturers with overseas localized manufacturing capabilities, in-depth channels, and ESG systems
• Recommendations: CATL, Sungrow Power, etc.[8]

• Enterprises that can access the supply chain of overseas data centers and provide integrated solar-storage-charging and microgrid solutions
• Recommendations: Sungrow Power, Canadian Solar, etc.[8]

• In 2026, all-solid-state batteries will move to small-scale production, and segments such as lithium sulfide, lithium anodes, and dry electrode equipment will enter the 0-1 phase of industrialization
• It is recommended to focus on material segments (lithium anodes, lithium sulfide/electrolytes) and equipment segments (dry process, isostatic pressing)[8]

:

• CATL (300750.SZ)
  : Global leader in power batteries, with high-speed growth in energy storage business
• Sungrow Power (300274.SZ)
  : Leader in photovoltaic inverters, with leading energy storage system integration capabilities
• Canadian Solar (CSIQ.US)
  : Capable of providing integrated solar-storage-charging solutions for data centers

:

• Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP.US)
  : World-leading renewable energy operator
• Clearway Energy (CWEN.US)
  : U.S. utility-scale renewable energy developer
• HA Sustainable Infrastructure (HASI.US)
  : Sustainable infrastructure investment platform[2]

: Precisely targets the core new energy track, with an energy storage content of up to 59%, enabling in-depth capture of the current industry dividend of “volume and price growth” in energy storage[9].

• Risk of Deteriorating International Trade Environment
  : Escalation of trade barriers such as the U.S. OBBBA Act and the EU’s Net Zero Industry Act
• Risk of Policy Underperformance
  : Uncertainty in the progress of the capacity price mechanism
• Risk of Irrational Capacity Expansion in the Industry
  : A new round of overcapacity may occur in some segments
• Risk of Sharp Exchange Rate Fluctuations
  : Enterprises with a high proportion of overseas business will be significantly affected[8]

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The explosive growth of the AI industry is triggering a profound energy revolution. Electricity has transformed from a “supporting facility” for AI development to a “core asset”, and the era of “compute power is everything” is giving way to a new paradigm of “electricity is currency”.

, with the core logic as follows:

1. Demand Side
   : AI data centers drive rigid growth in electricity demand, with global data center power consumption projected to grow by 175% in 2030 compared to 2023
2. Supply Side
   : Photovoltaic power generation has significant economic advantages, and the cost of new renewable energy projects in 2024 is generally lower than that of fossil energy
3. Policy Side
   : The global determination for energy transition is firm, and supporting policies such as the capacity price mechanism are continuously improved
4. Technology Side
   : The role of energy storage has evolved from “backup power supply” to “active power supply”, and grid-forming energy storage has become a rigid demand

As Morgan Stanley stated, the wave of AI infrastructure construction is shifting “clean power + energy storage + grid connection” from thematic investment to an asset allocation issue[2]. For investors, the current moment is a strategic time to lay out clean energy infrastructure.

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[1] Sina Finance - “AI Boom Spawns New Opportunities in the Energy Industry” (https://finance.sina.cn/usstock/mggd/2026-01-06/detail-inhfkfur5671575.d.html)
[2] Tencent News - “AI Infrastructure Boom Ignites Surge in Green Power Demand” (https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20251231A04D3V00)
[3] 36Kr - “Musk Pushes Space Data Centers Aggressively” (https://m.36kr.com/p/3596595567411200)
[4] Xinhua News - “Compute Power Surges, Can Energy Keep Up? Electricity Dilemmas and Green Breakthroughs in the AI Era” (http://www.xinhuanet.com/digital/20251231/6ef6efb904a24f318b4ae639e6bef45d/c.html)
[5] Industrial Securities Strategy - “How Do Top 10 Foreign Institutions View A-Shares in 2026?” (https://finance.sina.com.cn/stock/report/2025-12-16/doc-inhaysip8168206.shtml)
[6] 36Kr - “173-Minute Conversation: Musk Only Talks About 3 Things: AI, Energy, Robots” (https://eu.36kr.com/zh/p/3630015413138182)
[7] Sina Finance - “U.S. PV Stocks Have Emerged as a Gold Mine” (https://finance.sina.com.cn/roll/2025-12-19/doc-inhciyiz5557480.shtml)
[8] Guotai Junan Securities - “2026 Annual Strategy for Energy Storage and Lithium Battery Industry: Driven by Energy Transition and AI” (https://m.hibor.com.cn/wap_detail.aspx?id=549c0e7e363eb437af513e8e26dc2cab)
[9] East Money - “New Life After Year-End Pressure: 2025 Review and 2026 Outlook for the New Energy Sector” (https://caifuhao.eastmoney.com/news/20260107105629955816220)