AI's Power Hunger Meets Aging Grids: Is Energy Storage the Answer to the Looming Global Crisis?

I. Crisis: Computing Power Surges, Grids Under Pressure

The world is currently grappling with an AI-driven "electricity famine." Tech companies are scrambling for power resources at an unprecedented rate to meet soaring computing demand.

In the UK, National Grid CEO John Pettigrew revealed that data centers now account for more than half of the new electricity demand. The UK grid plans to add 19 GW of supply within five years, equivalent to one-third of its current peak demand. More critically, grid connection requests have skyrocketed from 41 GW to 125 GW in just a few months—more than double the country's current peak electricity consumption.

II. Data: Exponential Surge in Electricity Demand

Behind the growth in computing power lies massive energy consumption.

Huawei's "Intelligent World 2035" report forecasts that global computing demand in 2035 will be 100,000 times greater than in 2025.

Data from the International Energy Agency shows that global data center electricity consumption reached 415 TWh in 2024, equivalent to the UK's total annual electricity usage.

A Goldman Sachs report further warns that by 2030, AI data centers could increase global power demand by 175% compared to 2023, potentially accounting for about 10% of global electricity consumption.

Specifically, a 1 GW AI computing facility consumes as much electricity as 2.6 million households. ChatGPT alone consumes over 500,000 kWh daily—equivalent to the power used by 17,000 US homes.

III. Bottleneck: Aging Infrastructure, Grid Stability Concerns

Power grids in Europe and the US, largely built last century, are aging and have limited capacity, struggling to support the high loads of AI data centers.

A US Department of Energy report indicates that, amid power plant retirements and growing demand, blackout risks in the US could increase 100-fold by 2030. The average annual outage time could surge from 8.1 hours currently to 817 hours.

Although Europe has over 30% wind and solar capacity, the intermittency of these sources makes "stable power supply" a luxury.

IV. The Solution: Energy Storage Moves from "Supporting Role" to "Central Pillar"

Previously seen as a supplementary tool for balancing variable renewable energy, the rise of AI has fundamentally reshaped energy priorities.

Electricity has become the lifeline of computing power, and energy storage is now the central system ensuring this lifeline remains unbroken. It is no longer just supporting equipment but core infrastructure essential for sustaining AI computation.

V. Going Global: China's Energy Storage Enters a Golden Era

Facing global electricity anxiety, China's energy storage industry is seizing a "golden period for overseas expansion."

Chinese lithium-ion batteries hold over 75% of the global market share, backed by a complete supply chain. Exports in 2024 reached 3.914 billion units, a year-on-year increase of 8.1%.

Companies like CATL， BYD ，EVE,REPT,Gotion，have transitioned from simply exporting products to establishing production bases and R&D centers in Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia, achieving "local production for global supply."

Chinese energy storage companies are shifting from "selling products" to "exporting systems," completing a comprehensive global outreach encompassing both technology and standards.

VI. The Future: Electricity Defines the Boundaries of Computing

It is becoming clear that the limit of computing power lies not in chips, but in electricity.

The future competition will not only be about "who can generate more power" but also about "who can store electricity smarter and use it more efficiently." In this global energy revolution triggered by AI, energy storage is quietly heralding a new energy era.