Source: Xinhua News Agency

Authors: Wang Xi, Wang Yueyang

As the low-carbon transformation of the energy structure advances at an accelerated pace, what profound changes is the global energy system 

undergoing? And what new trends are emerging in the development of the power industry?

On September 9, at the 2025 Global Energy Interconnection Conference held in Beijing, the 2025 Report on Global Power Development and 

Transformation—compiled by the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO)—was released to the 

public.

The report points out that over the past five years, driven by economic development, energy transition, and technological innovation, the global 

power industry has undergone profound transformation, presenting four major trends: "electrification of energy consumption, cleanness of power 

production, wide-area power allocation, and digital-intelligent system operation".

The report uses a series of data to illustrate the new landscape of global power development and transformation: In 2024, global end-use electricity

consumption exceeded 27 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh), reaching a record high with a year-on-year growth of approximately 4%; the installed 

capacity of clean energy accounted for over 50% of the global total, and clean energy power generation accounted for more than 40%, indicating 

that the clean transformation of the power source structure has entered a critical stage; the global power grid scale grew steadily, with the total 

length of power lines reaching 80 million kilometers in 2024—grid construction has become a key factor in ensuring power supply and the efficient 

utilization of new energy...

In recent years, the surge in energy and power consumption driven by the explosive development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has 

attracted widespread attention.

In response to this phenomenon, the report analyzes that with the rapid expansion of application scenarios, the high power consumption 

characteristics of AI and the resulting cost increase are gradually becoming obstacles to its development and application. Overall, the scale of 

electricity consumption driven by AI is affected by three factors: software algorithms, computing hardware, and the comprehensive electricity 

efficiency of data centers.

At this conference, the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization also released a number of other research 

achievements, including 2025 Development and Outlook of Global Energy Interconnection and Green Energy Development Promotes the 

Modernization of the Global South.

As an international organization in the energy field, the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization was established 

in 2016. Its purpose is to promote the construction of a global energy interconnection and meet global electricity demand in a clean and green 

manner.