Proprietary data
Data Center Power & Policy in China
Every government action on data centers and power in China that we have verified: moratoriums, grid rules, incentives, tariffs and plans, with the power indicators that drive site selection.
By Amit Jain
Reviewed by Deepti Agrawal
Updated 26 October 2026
In short
As of 26 October 2026, DC Market Insights tracks 16 government actions on data centers and power in China, 14 of them in force. China has 2 restrictions on new data centers in force, the latest: No new clusters or large data centers in cities where existing data centers are under 50% occupied.
Market snapshot
China power and policy: key facts
- Renewable share of electricity generation: 38% (2025). Rank 22 of 39 tracked countries, highest first.
- Grid emission factor: 0.53 kgCO2/kWh (2023). Rank 6 of 33 tracked countries, highest first.
- Data centers’ share of electricity demand: 1.9% (2025). Rank 4 of 4 tracked countries, highest first.
- Latest change: 2025 renewable consumption responsibility weights add a green power consumption ratio for new hub-node data centers (Fagaiban Nengyuan [2025] No. 669) (NDRC General Office, NEA Comprehensive Department, 1 Jul 2025).
- By type: 4 plan or strategy, 3 efficiency rule, 2 renewable energy and 2 power tariff.
Power indicators for China
Latest official figure for each indicator, with earlier years where we have them.
In force now in China
Restriction (2)
No new clusters or large data centers in cities where existing data centers are under 50% occupied
The 2024 special action plan strengthens 'East Data West Computing' as a binding layout constraint: new large and hyperscale DCs should go first into national hub cluster areas. In a city where data centers in use for over a year have overall occupancy below 50%, no new data center clusters or large/hyperscale projects are in principle to be planned. Non-real-time computing is to move to western hubs.
50 % occupancy Occupancy threshold below which no new clusters or large DC projects are planned in a city.
No local land or tax incentives for new data centers outside national hub nodes (Fagaigaoji [2021] No. 1742)
Implementation plan for green, high-quality development of data centers and 5G under the carbon peaking/neutrality goals. New large and hyperscale data centers should in principle be built inside national hub cluster areas, and local governments in principle may not give land or fiscal/tax incentives to new data centers outside the hubs. New large DCs: PUE not above 1.3 (hub nodes average below 1.25 by 2025); DCs with PUE above 1.5 to be retrofitted; regions with occupancy below 50% (DCs in use over 1 year) get no new clusters or large DC projects. Hub projects get energy-quota support.
1.25 PUE 2025 average PUE target for new large/hyperscale DCs in national hub nodes (1.3 nationwide). Issue date per NDRC notice; published 2021-12-08.
Grid access (1)
Green electricity direct connection (lü dian zhi lian) framework (Fagai Nengyuan [2025] No. 650)
National framework letting wind, solar and biomass projects supply a single power user through a dedicated line without connecting directly to the public grid. Grid-connected projects must self-consume at least 60% of available generation, and self-consumed power must be at least 30% of the user's total use (at least 35% before 2030), with grid export generally capped at 20%. Projects must pay transmission and distribution charges, system operation costs and government funds; non-grid companies including private firms may invest. The notice does not name data centers specifically.
60 % self-consumption Minimum annual self-consumed share of total available renewable generation; self-consumption must also be at least 30% of total load use, rising to 35% before 2030; export cap generally 20%.
Power tariff (1)
Market-based pricing for renewable feed-in power (Document 136, Fagai Jiage [2025] No. 136)
All wind and solar feed-in power is in principle to enter the electricity market with prices formed by trading, with a 'sustainable development' contract-for-difference settlement at a mechanism price. Projects in operation before 1 June 2025 keep current price policy as mechanism price; projects from 1 June 2025 get mechanism prices through local auctions. Storage may no longer be a precondition for approving or connecting new renewable projects. Affects green power supply costs for large users such as data centers.
Renewable energy (2)
2025 renewable consumption responsibility weights add a green power consumption ratio for new hub-node data centers (Fagaiban Nengyuan [2025] No. 669)
NDRC and NEA notice on 2025 renewable electricity consumption responsibility weights. On top of electrolytic aluminium, it adds green power consumption ratios for steel, cement, polysilicon and new data centers in national hub nodes for 2025. For these new sectors, completion is monitored only and not assessed in 2025.
Green power share above 80% for new data centers in national hub nodes by end-2025
The 2024 special action plan makes renewable-use targets and plans a key part of energy-saving reviews for new and expanded DCs, encourages green power and green certificate trading, encourages pilots of direct green power supply to data centers, and sets a target that new data centers in national hub nodes source over 80% green power by end-2025, with a computing-power/electricity coordination mechanism in place.
80 % Minimum green power share for new DCs in national hub nodes by end-2025 (same target also in Fagaishuju [2023] No. 1779).
Efficiency rule (2)
Data Center Green Low-Carbon Development Special Action Plan: PUE targets (Fagaihuanzi [2024] No. 970)
By end-2025 national average data center PUE below 1.5, overall rack occupancy at least 60% and renewable utilization rising 10% a year. New and expanded large and hyperscale data centers must reach PUE within 1.25, and data center projects in national hub nodes may not exceed PUE 1.2. Energy-saving reviews of DC projects are to be strict, and new/expanded DCs must use servers meeting GB 43630-2023 energy-saving levels.
1.2 PUE Max PUE for hub-node DC projects by end-2025; 1.25 for new/expanded large and hyperscale DCs; national average below 1.5.
Mandatory national standard GB 40879-2021: data center energy efficiency limit values and grades
Mandatory national standard setting minimum energy-efficiency limits and efficiency grades for data centers, published 11 Oct 2021 and in force from 1 Nov 2022. The SAMR standards platform lists it as current; a revision (plan 20251056-Q-469) is at the public-comment stage.
Regulation (2)
Pilot removal of foreign ownership limits for IDC, CDN and ISP services (MIIT Tongxinhan [2024] No. 107)
MIIT pilot opening value-added telecom services to foreign investment. In the Beijing services-sector opening demonstration zone, Shanghai FTZ Lingang new area, Hainan Free Trade Port and Shenzhen pilot demonstration zone, foreign equity caps are removed for internet data center (IDC), content delivery network (CDN) and other listed services. Foreign-invested firms must obtain an MIIT pilot approval. Elsewhere in China the standard foreign equity limits for value-added telecom services still apply.
Provisions on Promoting and Regulating Cross-Border Data Flows (CAC Order No. 16)
CAC rules easing outbound data transfer under the Cybersecurity, Data Security and Personal Information Protection laws. Non-CII processors must file a security assessment for important data, or for personal information of over 1 million people (or sensitive PI of over 10,000) cumulatively since 1 January of the year; transfers of under 100,000 people's non-sensitive PI are exempt. Shapes where data and hosting must stay onshore.
1,000,000 persons (PI) Cumulative annual threshold of non-sensitive personal information above which a data-export security assessment is required for non-CII processors; 10,000 for sensitive PI; under 100,000 exempt.
Plan or strategy (4)
Implementation opinions on deepening 'East Data West Computing' and building a national integrated computing network (Fagaishuju [2023] No. 1779)
Five-department opinions led by NDRC and the National Data Administration. By end-2025, hub-node regions should account for over 60% of China's new computing capacity, and new data centers in hub nodes should source over 80% green power. Calls for computing-power and electricity coordination pilots within and between hub nodes, use of 'source-grid-load-storage' models and idle data center power.
60 % Share of national new computing capacity to be located in hub-node regions by end-2025.
Computing Infrastructure High-Quality Development Action Plan (MIIT and five other departments)
Six-department plan (MIIT, CAC, Ministry of Education, National Health Commission, People's Bank of China, SASAC) with 2025 targets of computing capacity above 300 EFLOPS and an intelligent (AI) computing share of 35%, plus 25 tasks across supply, transport networks, storage, sector applications, green low-carbon computing and security.
300 EFLOPS 2025 national computing capacity target; intelligent computing share 35%. Date is the notice signing date per official-domain search results; the CAC page (published 2023-10-11) says only 'recently issued'.
'East Data, West Computing' full launch: 8 national computing hub nodes and 10 national data center clusters
NDRC, CAC, MIIT and NEA approved construction of national computing hub nodes in 8 regions and planned 10 national data center clusters (Zhangjiakou, Yangtze River Delta eco-green demonstration zone, Wuhu, Shaoguan, Tianfu, Chongqing, Horinger, Gui'an, Qingyang, Zhongwei), each with a defined start-up area. NDRC says the project is now fully launched. Example: the Gui'an cluster requires average rack occupancy of at least 65% and PUE below 1.2.
10 clusters 8 hub nodes, 10 clusters. Date is the NDRC interview page date; the page says the approval notices were issued 'recently' (Jan-Feb 2022) without a day.
National integrated big data center collaborative innovation system: computing hub implementation plan (Fagaigaoji [2021] No. 709)
Joint NDRC, CAC, MIIT and NEA plan that set up national computing hub nodes in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta, the Greater Bay Area, Chengdu-Chongqing, Guizhou, Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Ningxia, and first launched the 'East Data, West Computing' project. Clusters must set entry standards on build scale, energy efficiency and rack occupancy, and target end-to-end one-way latency within 20 ms inside large clusters.
20 ms End-to-end one-way network latency target for large and hyperscale data center clusters (10 ms for urban edge data centers). The plan text does not use the term PUE.
Announced and proposed
Measures that are not yet in force. Status changes when the rule takes effect or is withdrawn.
Tiered electricity prices for inefficient data centers and clean-up of local preferential power prices
The 2024 special action plan orders a full clean-up of local preferential electricity price policies for energy-intensive industries, pushes a unified tiered electricity price policy for key industrial sectors, and asks to study applying tiered prices by efficiency gap to existing DCs below the energy-saving level and to planned DCs below the advanced level. New DC projects face energy-use equal or reduced replacement. AI computing centers in the national AI layout get faster energy reviews and green power supply.
Timeline of data center and power policy in China
| Date | Action | Type | Status | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 2025 | 2025 renewable consumption responsibility weights add a green power consumption ratio for new hub-node data centers (Fagaiban Nengyuan [2025] No. 669) | Renewable energy | In force | NDRC General Office, NEA Comprehensive Department |
| 21 May 2025 | Green electricity direct connection (lü dian zhi lian) framework (Fagai Nengyuan [2025] No. 650) | Grid access | In force | NDRC, NEA |
| 27 Jan 2025 | Market-based pricing for renewable feed-in power (Document 136, Fagai Jiage [2025] No. 136) | Power tariff | In force | NDRC, NEA |
| 3 Jul 2024 | Green power share above 80% for new data centers in national hub nodes by end-2025 | Renewable energy | In force | NDRC, MIIT, NEA, National Data Administration |
| 3 Jul 2024 | Tiered electricity prices for inefficient data centers and clean-up of local preferential power prices | Power tariff | Announced | NDRC (lead), MIIT, National Data Administration |
| 3 Jul 2024 | No new clusters or large data centers in cities where existing data centers are under 50% occupied | Restriction | In force | NDRC, MIIT, NEA, National Data Administration |
| 3 Jul 2024 | Data Center Green Low-Carbon Development Special Action Plan: PUE targets (Fagaihuanzi [2024] No. 970) | Efficiency rule | In force | NDRC, MIIT, NEA, National Data Administration |
| 8 Apr 2024 | Pilot removal of foreign ownership limits for IDC, CDN and ISP services (MIIT Tongxinhan [2024] No. 107) Beijing, Shanghai Lingang, Hainan FTP, Shenzhen | Regulation | In force | Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) |
| 22 Mar 2024 | Provisions on Promoting and Regulating Cross-Border Data Flows (CAC Order No. 16) | Regulation | In force | Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) |
| 25 Dec 2023 | Implementation opinions on deepening 'East Data West Computing' and building a national integrated computing network (Fagaishuju [2023] No. 1779) | Plan or strategy | In force | NDRC, National Data Administration (NDA), CAC, MIIT, NEA |
| 8 Oct 2023 | Computing Infrastructure High-Quality Development Action Plan (MIIT and five other departments) | Plan or strategy | In force | MIIT, CAC, Ministry of Education, National Health Commission, People's Bank of China, SASAC |
| 21 Mar 2022 | 'East Data, West Computing' full launch: 8 national computing hub nodes and 10 national data center clusters | Plan or strategy | In force | NDRC, CAC, MIIT, NEA |
| 30 Nov 2021 | No local land or tax incentives for new data centers outside national hub nodes (Fagaigaoji [2021] No. 1742) | Restriction | In force | NDRC, CAC, MIIT, NEA |
| 11 Oct 2021 | Mandatory national standard GB 40879-2021: data center energy efficiency limit values and grades | Efficiency rule | In force | State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) / Standardization Administration of China |
| 4 Jul 2021 | MIIT New Data Center Development Three-Year Action Plan (2021-2023) | Efficiency rule | Expired | Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) |
| 24 May 2021 | National integrated big data center collaborative innovation system: computing hub implementation plan (Fagaigaoji [2021] No. 709) | Plan or strategy | In force | NDRC, Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), MIIT, National Energy Administration (NEA) |
How China compares
Latest official figures for the countries we track.
| Country | Industrial power price | Renewable share | Grid emission factor | Restrictions in force | Incentives in force |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | — | 19.6% (2025) | 0.28 kgCO2/kWh (2022) | 0 | 2 |
| Australia | — | 39% (2025) | — | 0 | 2 |
| Austria | 169 USD/MWh (2026) | 78% (2025) | 0.15 kgCO2/kWh (2023) | 0 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | — | 2% (2025) | — | 0 | 0 |
| Belgium | 183 USD/MWh (2025) | 34.3% (2025) | 0.19 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 0 | 0 |
| Brazil | — | 86.8% (2025) | 0.07 kgCO2/kWh (2025) | 0 | 1 |
| Canada | — | 63.9% (2024) | 0.10 kgCO2/kWh (2022) | 2 | 0 |
| Chile | — | 66% (2025) | 0.24 kgCO2/kWh (2023) | 0 | 0 |
| China | — | 38% (2025) | 0.53 kgCO2/kWh (2023) | 2 | 0 |
| Colombia | — | — | 0.22 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 0 | 2 |
| Denmark | 134 USD/MWh (2025) | 81.5% (2024) | 0.11 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 1 | 0 |
| Ecuador | — | — | 0.16 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 1 | 0 |
| Finland | 58.4 USD/MWh (2025) | 57% (2024) | 0.03 kgCO2/kWh (2025) | 0 | 0 |
| France | 104 USD/MWh (2025) | 27% (2025) | 0.02 kgCO2/kWh (2025) | 0 | 1 |
| Germany | 180 USD/MWh (2025) | 58.8% (2025) | 0.34 kgCO2/kWh (2025) | 1 | 0 |
| Guatemala | 84.5 USD/MWh (2025) | 53.5% (2024) | 0.29 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 0 | 2 |
| Hong Kong | 180 USD/MWh (2026) | — | 0.59 kgCO2/kWh (2025) | 0 | 2 |
| India | 82.1 USD/MWh (2025) | 28.7% (2026) | 0.68 kgCO2/kWh (2025) | 0 | 5 |
| Indonesia | 62.9 USD/MWh (2024) | 16.3% (2025) | 0.68 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 0 | 1 |
| Ireland | 234 USD/MWh (2025) | 41.3% (2024) | 0.20 kgCO2/kWh (2025) | 2 | 0 |
| Italy | 184 USD/MWh (2025) | 48% (2025) | 0.20 kgCO2/kWh (2025) | 0 | 0 |
| Japan | — | 23.1% (2024) | 0.45 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 0 | 0 |
| Kazakhstan | — | 14.6% (2025) | 0.81 kgCO2/kWh (2025) | 0 | 0 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 41.7 USD/MWh (2026) | 88% (2024) | 0.16 kgCO2/kWh (2019) | 1 | 1 |
| Luxembourg | 165 USD/MWh (2025) | 23.3% (2025) | — | 0 | 0 |
| Malaysia | 105 USD/MWh (2026) | 21% (2025) | 0.74 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 1 | 1 |
| Mexico | — | — | 0.44 kgCO2/kWh (2023) | 0 | 0 |
| Nepal | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 148 USD/MWh (2025) | 49% (2025) | 0.20 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 4 | 0 |
| Pakistan | 97.5 USD/MWh (2026) | 34.7% (2025) | — | 0 | 1 |
| Panama | 66.3 USD/MWh (2025) | 74.7% (2025) | 0.15 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 0 | 1 |
| Paraguay | 33.0 USD/MWh (2026) | — | — | 1 | 2 |
| Peru | — | 62.6% (2025) | — | 0 | 1 |
| Russia | — | 17.6% (2025) | — | 2 | 0 |
| Singapore | 189 USD/MWh (2025) | 2.1% (2024) | 0.40 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 0 | 0 |
| South Korea | — | 9.8% (2025) | — | 0 | 0 |
| Spain | 113 USD/MWh (2025) | 55.5% (2025) | — | 0 | 0 |
| Sri Lanka | — | 60.2% (2025) | — | 0 | 0 |
| Sweden | 78.5 USD/MWh (2025) | — | 0.06 kgCO2/kWh (2023) | 0 | 0 |
| Switzerland | 240 USD/MWh (2026) | 70.8% (2025) | 0.13 kgCO2/kWh (2022) | 0 | 0 |
| United Arab Emirates | 120 USD/MWh (2026) | 8.8% (2024) | 0.47 kgCO2/kWh (2024) | 0 | 0 |
| United Kingdom | 234 USD/MWh (2026) | 52.1% (2025) | 0.15 kgCO2/kWh (2026) | 1 | 1 |
| United States | 86.2 USD/MWh (2025) | 24% (2025) | 0.35 kgCO2/kWh (2023) | 0 | 1 |
| Uruguay | 101 USD/MWh (2026) | 98% (2025) | 0.01 kgCO2/kWh (2025) | 0 | 3 |
| Uzbekistan | 83.3 USD/MWh (2026) | 19.4% (2025) | — | 1 | 0 |
| Venezuela | — | 77% (2023) | — | 0 | 1 |
Questions
Is there a data center moratorium in China?
Yes. 2 restrictions on new data centers are in force in China: No new clusters or large data centers in cities where existing data centers are under 50% occupied and No local land or tax incentives for new data centers outside national hub nodes (Fagaigaoji [2021] No. 1742).
How much of China’s electricity is renewable?
Renewables supplied 38% of electricity generation in China in 2025.
Where does this data come from?
Each action comes from a page we opened: a law, regulation, gazette notice, ministry or regulator release, grid operator notice or investment agency page, and only when official text is not available a company or trade publication. A second analyst re-opens the source before an item is published. Government sources are linked on the page; all sources come with the Excel data.
What counts as a restriction or moratorium?
A government or grid operator rule that stops, pauses, caps or conditions new data center capacity or grid connections, for a country or a region within it. Proposals are shown as proposed until they take effect.
How are power prices compared?
We use each country’s official statistics for industrial or non-household electricity, converted to US dollars per MWh at the average rate for the year where needed, and show the year and source. Contract prices for data centers can differ.
How often is it updated?
Countries are reviewed on a rolling schedule and changes are added as they are announced. Each item shows the date of the action.
Global capacity
How much data center capacity does China have?
Installed capacity in MW (IT load), its share of the region, the largest tracked sites and the outlook to 2035.
Choosing a market or a site?
Our analysts prepare country briefings on power, grid access, incentives and permits, with every source, in Excel.