华尔街日报：中国的AI大招，来自全球最大电网的廉价电力

Core Viewpoint - China is leveraging its vast electricity resources and the world's largest power grid to gain a competitive edge in the global AI race, with electricity costs significantly lower than those in the U.S. [4][5][10] Group 1: Electricity Advantage - China's electricity generation has grown more than the total of other regions from 2010 to 2024, with last year's output being over twice that of the U.S. [4] - The cost of electricity for data centers in China can be as low as 3 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared to 7 to 9 cents in the U.S. [13] - Morgan Stanley predicts that by 2030, China will invest approximately $560 billion in power grid projects, a 45% increase from the previous five years [6]. Group 2: Data Center Development - Inner Mongolia is transforming with thousands of wind turbines and over 100 data centers operational or under construction, driven by the "East Data West Computing" initiative [5][8]. - The region's GDP has grown by 50% over the past five years, with electricity consumption for data centers and IT services increasing by over 700% from 2019 to last year [18]. - By 2030, China's data centers are expected to consume electricity equivalent to the total consumption of France [10]. Group 3: AI and Chip Development - Chinese AI companies, such as DeepSeek, are developing high-quality AI models at lower costs due to cheaper electricity, helping to mitigate challenges posed by domestic chip performance [6][24]. - Huawei's CloudMatrix 384 system, integrating 384 Ascend chips, reportedly has 66% higher computing power than NVIDIA's flagship system but consumes four times the power [22][24]. - The complexity of operating bundled systems and the need for advanced networking technology pose challenges for the efficient collaboration of numerous chips [24]. Group 4: Future Outlook and Challenges - The U.S. faces a potential power shortfall of 44 gigawatts for data centers in the next three years, which could hinder its AI ambitions [6]. - Both China and the U.S. are grappling with the high electricity consumption of data centers, with the demand for power being unpredictable [9][10]. - The Chinese government is prioritizing the development of data centers in designated areas to manage regulatory approvals and land acquisition more efficiently [18].