China Data Centers Tap Spot Power Trading First Time: Report

China’s large-scale data centers have joined electricity spot trading as virtual power plants for the first time, marking a shift in how computing demand interacts with the grid, a report in an official media said.

Three data center clusters operated by China United Network Communications Group Co. and China Mobile Communications Group Co. in the southern province of Guangdong entered the spot market on May 14 via a Guangdong Power Grid Energy Investment Co. platform, China Electric Power News reported on Saturday. The system allows data centers to buy electricity based on real-time prices.