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

Centered on the development of artificial intelligence (AI), China is catching up with the United States in boosting its power-generation capacity. China’s expected increase in power-generation capacity in 2025 is believed to reach 7 times that of the United States. China uses low-cost electricity as a weapon to offset its weakness in semiconductor performance compared with the United States. The ability to supply power may determine the outcome of AI competition between China and the U.S.

Forecasts published by the Chinese government in December 2025 show that in 2025, power-generating capacity for newly built power plants in China is expected to be about 470 gigawatts. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) show that, in the same period, the additional power-generation capacity in the U.S. was 64 gigawatts.

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

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