On May 14, 2026, three major data center clusters operated by China United Network Communications Group (Shàogūn), China Mobile Communications Group Guangzhou, and Zhanjiang started participating in electricity spot trading through the Guangdong Power Grid Energy Investment Co. platform as virtual power plants [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The new market mechanism allows these data centers to purchase electricity flexibly at real-time spot prices and adjust computing loads to avoid peak pricing periods [2, 5]. This marks a shift from their traditional role as fixed electricity consumers to flexible grid resources capable of regulating their power usage [2, 5].
By participating in spot market trading, the data centers expect to reduce electricity costs and create new revenue sources [2, 5]. The program operates via the Guangdong Power Grid Energy Investment Co.'s "Yueneng Virtual Power Plant Operation Platform," which enables energy trading and settlement in the spot market [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
China Southern Power Grid has plans to expand data center involvement in electricity spot markets and promote the integration of power, carbon emissions, and computing capacity systems to enhance grid flexibility and decarbonization efforts [2, 5].
