China's electricity generation increase reaches 7 times that of the United States, influencing AI competition

Regarding artificial intelligence (AI) research and development, China is catching up with the United States in power generation capacity. China’s projected increase in power generation capacity by 2025 is considered to be seven times that of the U.S. China is leveraging low-cost electricity to compensate for its weaker semiconductor performance compared to the U.S. Power supply capacity could influence the AI competition between China and the U.S.

A forecast released by the Chinese government in December 2025 shows that the new power generation capacity, including new power plants, will be about 470 gigawatts. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) indicates that the U.S. added 64 gigawatts of power generation capacity during the same period.

China’s power generation capacity surpassed that of the U.S. in 2013 and reached 2.5 times the U.S. capacity in 2024. In the incremental increase for 2025, China also outpaced the U.S., further widening the gap between the two countries. The Chinese government expects power generation capacity to increase to 1.5 times the 2024 level by 2030.

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