Evolving energy landscape reshaping industry ecosystems

Through integrating with artificial intelligence, technologies being used to develop the new energy industry in China are experiencing significant breakthroughs, experts recently said in Qingdao, Shandong province.

This fusion is expected to ignite a transformative revolution, reshaping industries on an unprecedented scale, they said.

"AI-driven computing is accelerating the development of new energy solutions," said Ouyang Minggao, a professor at Tsinghua University, during an industrial conference on new energy held by Haier in the coastal city on Friday.

Ouyang, who is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, predicted that over the next 10 to 30 years, China will see the emergence of five massive industries, each valued at over 10 trillion yuan ($1.37 trillion). These include renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar and wind power, and smart, zero-carbon energy systems like integrated energy grids.

Collectively, these sectors could generate an economic output exceeding 100 trillion yuan, he added.

The Chinese government has already laid the groundwork for this transformation. In July 2024, key central government departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission, National Energy Administration and National Data Administration, released an action plan to accelerate the development of a new power system.

The plan highlights that promoting intelligent dispatching systems and the coordination of generation-grid-load-storage is the core pathway to building a modern power system.

It also emphasizes that the collaborative innovation between computing power and electricity is a key measure to address the challenges of integrating renewable energy into the grid.

At the conference, Haier Energy, the new energy platform of Haier Group, unveiled its innovative "generation-grid-load-storage "integrated solution. This cutting-edge system, designed to revolutionize the renewable energy sector, leverages AI and digital intelligence to enhance the management, marketization and integration of distributed energy resources. The move positions Haier as a leader in intelligent, distributed clean energy solutions.

"The evolving energy landscape is reshaping industry ecosystems. Haier's approach, which aligns renewable energy with rural development and integrates virtual power plants with urban green transitions is strengthening its influence in the energy and carbon sectors," said Ma Yifeng, an energy expert. "The future of energy lies in synergy and innovation."