A young IT engineer inspects data center servers. Stock photo

Written by Wenxuan (Shane) Sun, Business Development & Program Director at New Energy Nexus China

As artificial intelligence (AI) tech progresses, data centers and intelligent computing facilities are becoming a new class of energy-intensive infrastructure. Globally, data centers consumed around 415 TWh of electricity in 2024, about 1.5% of global electricity demand, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that this could roughly double by 2030. The United States and China are expected to account for the majority of this growth.

This creates a critical question for the clean energy transition: will AI-driven computing become another source of grid stress, or can it become part of the solution?

For NEX China, this is the starting point of our work on computing-power coordination, or suan-dian xietong (算电协同) in Chinese, the coordination between computing demand and power system operation.

As we begin a new project to explore the challenges and opportunities in this space, we wanted to cover the basics and what it means for entrepreneurs.

What is computing-power coordination?

Computing-power coordination refers to the practice of aligning computing workloads with the availability, location, timing, and constraints of electricity supply.

In simple terms, not all computing tasks need to happen in the same place or at the same moment. Some workloads are highly time-sensitive, such as real-time financial transactions, autonomous driving, or emergency response systems. But others, including AI model training, batch data processing, rendering, simulation, and certain industrial AI tasks, may have more flexibility. They can potentially be shifted in time, shifted across locations, or adjusted according to grid conditions.

This matters because electricity systems are increasingly shaped by two simultaneous trends. On the supply side, more solar and wind power are entering the grid, but their output is variable. On the demand side, data centers and AI computing loads are growing rapidly, often becoming large, concentrated electricity consumers. This raises a question: when can computing loads function as flexible resources for the grid, rather than only as fixed demand?

The answer is not automatic. Computing loads are not inherently flexible. They only become useful to the power system when the right technical, commercial, and institutional conditions are in place. These include dispatch authority, service-level agreements, measurement methods, settlement rules, and clear responsibility among grid operators, data center operators, computing platforms, and energy users.

Why does this matter for the energy industry?

The energy sector is entering a new phase in which flexibility is as important as capacity.

Historically, power systems were designed around predictable demand and controllable generation. Today, the system must integrate variable renewable energy, electrified transport, distributed solar, batteries, industrial electrification, and now fast-growing digital infrastructure. AI data centers add a new layer of complexity: according to the IEA, AI-focused data center electricity consumption grew by 50% in 2025, while total data center electricity demand grew by 17%.

The challenge is not only the total amount of electricity consumed. It is also where, when, and how that demand appears. Data centers are large, concentrated, and often developed faster than energy infrastructure can be planned and built. The IEA notes that this mismatch between fast-moving data center development and slower-moving energy investment can create risks for grid planning, electricity prices, and system reliability.

Computing-power coordination offers a different lens. Instead of asking only how to supply more electricity to data centers, it asks whether some computing demand can be shaped to support the grid. A few examples:

• A data center could increase computing activity when local solar output is high and reduce or shift non-urgent workloads when the distribution grid is constrained.
• AI training tasks could be scheduled in regions and time windows with abundant renewable energy.
• Computing platforms could offer differentiated service levels, where users pay less for flexible computing tasks that can be delayed or relocated.
• Data centers with batteries, advanced energy management systems, and workload orchestration could participate in demand response or other flexibility markets.

This does not mean turning data centers into power plants; it means recognizing that digital infrastructure and energy infrastructure are becoming interdependent. The next generation of clean energy innovation will not only be about producing greener electrons, but also about designing smarter demand.

Why China?

China is one of the most important places to explore this question because it sits at the intersection of three global trends: rapid growth in AI infrastructure, massive deployment of renewable energy, and real-world grid integration challenges.

China’s total computing power scale already ranks second globally, and by the end of 2023, the country had more than 8.1 million data center racks in use. China’s government has also set clear green data center targets, including lowering the average data center PUE to below 1.5 by 2025 and increasing data center renewable energy utilization by 10% annually.

But China is not only building large data center clusters. It is also facing a very practical distributed energy challenge. County-scale rooftop solar programs and distributed renewables have expanded rapidly in many regions, creating new stress on local distribution grids. In these contexts, renewable generation is often location-bound, while computing loads remain largely inflexible.

This makes China a valuable “stress test” environment. Lessons from China can not be copied directly to Europe, Southeast Asia, or other markets, but they can help answer questions that many systems will soon face: How should grids coordinate with new digital loads? What kinds of computing demand are truly flexible? How should flexibility be measured and rewarded? Where do technical possibilities break down because institutions, contracts, or market rules are not ready?

What can entrepreneurs do?

Entrepreneurs play an important role because computing power coordination is not a single technology. It is an emerging system innovation field that requires new tools, platforms, services, and business models.

Entrepreneurs can develop workload orchestration tools that classify computing tasks by urgency, location sensitivity, carbon intensity, and grid impact. They can build energy-aware AI infrastructure. This may include software that links AI training schedules with renewable energy availability, electricity prices, grid congestion signals, or carbon intensity data. They can also develop measurement and verification systems. Without credible measurement, it is impossible to prove that computing loads have provided real grid value. In addition, there is space for new commercial models: flexible computing contracts, green computing products, demand response aggregation for data centers, carbon-aware cloud services, and location-aware computing marketplaces.

NEX China’s approach is therefore deliberately hypothesis-driven and simulation-based, focusing on decision-useful learning before large-scale deployment. Follow us to stay updated on our findings here.

Wenxuan (Shane) Sun has extensive experience in China’s wind and renewable energy markets, both within the industry and through market consulting.

By Jasper (Shaojie) Shen, New Energy Nexus China

Group shot of our delegation at Shanghai Climate Week 2026.

Shanghai Climate Week 2026 was a pivotal moment for regional collaboration, and New Energy Nexus China played a major role this year. We hosted around 40 members of international delegations from Thailand, Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan, and supported a wide range of coordination work.

Looking back now, it’s interesting to remember that this project actually started as a very small idea in mid-March, seeded during conversations with our partners in Thailand (JUTI) and Pakistan (Renewables First).

Both organizations had a strong interest off the bat. They wanted to bring together think tanks, government representatives, and business leaders to better understand China’s energy transition practices.

As preparations moved forward, the delegation lists kept growing. Even one week before the event started, we were still receiving emails asking, “Can we still add one more person?” or “Is it still possible for me to join?” Eventually, many sessions filled up, and we had to close registration.

That process made one thing very clear: the level of curiosity around China’s clean energy transition is high, and growing.

As Leo Horn-Phathanothai, CEO of JUTI, said: “No doubt that China has shown a welcoming attitude and an openness to doing business with the world.”

At the same time, however, I could still feel that there are bottlenecks in cross-border collaboration. One of the barriers I observed was trust, which isn’t solved by new tech or market research but by transparent communication and cooperation.

In many ways, Shanghai Climate Week felt like a process of building trust across different countries and different contexts. Across multiple events we co-hosted and participated in, I’ve noted these insights:

Meaningful conversations bring significant value.

One of my strongest observations was that simply getting people from different countries to sit together and talk meaningfully is already extremely valuable.

During our visit to Suzhou Industrial Park, we organized a closed-door dialogue on low-carbon industrial parks. Representatives from Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry, Siam Cement Group (Thailand), Renewables First (Pakistan), SIP Urban Development Research Institute, and GCL Energy Technology shared perspectives on how different countries are approaching industrial decarbonization.

What made this different was not formal presentations, but real exchange. Conversations quickly moved into grounded questions:

• What is the most practical challenge in your country right now?
• Why does this work in China?
• Would it translate to Southeast Asia?
• Who carries the financing risk?

One of the sessions at Shanghai Climate Week 2026.

Countries can accidentally inspire each other.

This was something we did not anticipate at the beginning.

For example, members of the Pakistan delegation shared how the country has experienced a massive rooftop solar boom in recent years. Many households and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have started purchasing and installing solar systems independently due to concerns about electricity prices and power reliability.

This kind of bottom-up renewable energy demand was very surprising and impressive to the Thailand delegation. Some Thai partners specifically told me that it made them start thinking about whether Thailand could cultivate a similar grassroots-level driving force.

These kinds of sparks are very difficult to generate solely through reports.

Different stakeholders come looking for different things.

Delegation members also arrived with very different priorities. Policy and think tank representatives focused on how China’s systems actually function on the ground. One company in Suzhou, Zooming New Energy, shared a candid view: while policy support matters, long-term success still depends on market demand and customer-driven logic.

Meanwhile, business participants prioritized partnerships. To support this, we organized seven one-on-one matchmaking sessions with companies including Sungrow, Windey International, Tecloman Energy Storage, and WHES Energy Storage Systems.

The key insight: information creates awareness, but collaboration creates engagement.

Trust is also built in quieter ways.

Running multinational events like this is demanding, but it’s often the small details that shape trust and can’t be neglected.

AI translation tools made cross-language discussions seamless for many visitors. Halal meals and dietary accommodations ensured inclusivity. Even informal moments, such as shared meals or cultural exchanges, shaped participants’ experiences throughout the week.

These efforts may seem minor, but they leave strong, lasting impressions.

One of the sessions at Shanghai Climate Week 2026.

Overall, facilitating these exchanges reinforced the fact that the energy transition will depend as much on relationships as it does on technology. NEX China hopes to be one of the partners helping build it. Whether you’re interested in supporting our work or you’re a startup looking for pathways to scale, learn more about our programs at newenergynexus.cn.

Jasper (Shaojie) Shen is the Director of Strategy and Market Partnerships at New Energy Nexus China.

Group shot of New Energy Nexus and the delegations participating in Shanghai Climate Week 2026.

China’s clean energy transition is accelerating at a scale few countries have achieved before. In 2025 alone, the country added more than 430 GW of new wind and solar capacity, pushing renewables to over 60% of its total installed power generation capacity.

But the significance of that progress extends far beyond China itself. As climate pressures intensify across Asia, the technologies, financing models, and industry expertise emerging from China’s transition could play a major role in accelerating clean energy adoption across the region and beyond.

That urgency shaped Shanghai Climate Week 2026, where New Energy Nexus (NEX) China organized six energy transition events under the banner ‘NEXT DECADE:’ convening delegates, companies, policymakers, and ecosystem builders from across Asia to explore how deeper regional collaboration can accelerate the transition in the immediate future.

A delegation of 40 representatives from Thailand, Pakistan and Indonesia joined in the events, led by the Just Transition Initiative (JUTI), with whom we partnered for Bangkok Climate Action Week, and Renewables First, which enables our work with entrepreneurs in Pakistan.

Here are some of the biggest insights that emerged from the week:

Collaboration is key to a faster energy transition

One theme surfaced repeatedly across nearly every event: technology is advancing faster than the mechanisms for cross-border collaboration.

At the Power Up! Shanghai Evening reception (April 21), delegates from Thailand, Indonesia, and Pakistan spoke directly with Chinese companies, including LONGi Green Energy and Jinko Solar, about opportunities to expand renewable energy deployment across Asia. The discussions were practical, focusing on financing, market access, implementation challenges, and local adaptation rather than broad climate ambition alone.

Delegates consistently highlighted growing interest from Chinese companies in working more closely with markets across Southeast and South Asia. Many also expressed optimism about concrete next steps following the week’s exchanges, particularly around technology deployment, industrial cooperation, and future business partnerships.

“China’s role in the Global South’s energy transition is moving from being a technology supplier to shaping the foundations of the next energy economy,” said Zeeshan Ashfaq, CEO at Renewables First. “This is becoming urgent as demand for energy storage accelerates and begins to define how far distributed, solar-led systems can actually scale, with Pakistan now moving from a solar rush into an emerging battery rush.”

Muhammad Basit Ghauri, Special Initiatives Manager at Renewables First, speaks at a panel.

Our takeaway: The appetite for collaboration already exists. What is needed now are stronger platforms, trusted interlocutors, strong collaborative networks, and sustained engagement to turn conversations into concrete collaboration.

China’s energy transition experience is becoming globally relevant

The Green Practices in Suzhou exchange (April 22) offered international delegates a closer look at how China is implementing green transformation at the city and industrial park level.

The delegates explored distributed renewable energy systems, zero-carbon industrial parks, and integrated planning models alongside Chinese industry leaders and researchers. What stood out was not only the scale of China’s implementation, but how rapidly lessons from those projects could apply elsewhere in Asia.

Delegates were particularly interested in how Chinese companies combine policy coordination, industrial strategy, and infrastructure to accelerate adoption. The discussions also surfaced growing opportunities for joint pilot projects and localized partnerships in Southeast and South Asia.

China’s experience driving industrial decarbonization as a business strategy, with cost savings, operational efficiency, resilience and innovation at its heart, resonated with participants from other countries.

Our takeaway: China’s role in the transition is evolving from manufacturer to ecosystem partner, with an impact that transcends geographical boundaries.

Distributed renewable energy is becoming central to resilience

At the forum on distributed renewable energy cooperation in Suzhou, discussions focused heavily on resilience, particularly in rapidly growing economies vulnerable to climate and grid instability.

Speakers from China, Thailand, Pakistan, and across Southeast Asia emphasized that distributed energy systems are no longer niche technologies. They are increasingly becoming core infrastructure for climate adaptation, energy access, and economic resilience.

Conversations across Southeast Asia highlighted growing interest in adapting China’s experience with distributed renewable energy to local contexts, particularly in areas where centralized infrastructure remains limited or vulnerable.

Leo Horn-Phathanothai, CEO of JUTI, speaks at a panel.

Our takeaway: Energy resilience is now inseparable from energy transition planning.

Climate finance needs stronger regional coordination

Across multiple forums, from the insurance-focused Chinese Technology, Global Capital, Insuring a Greener Future session to the Turning Green into Gold dialogue, one issue repeatedly surfaced: financing structures still lag behind climate innovation.

Participants discussed how insurance systems, green finance, blended capital, and standardized investment frameworks will be essential for scaling infrastructure and emerging technologies across Asia.

The conversations also reflected a broader shift in mindset. Climate finance is increasingly viewed not only as risk mitigation, but also as a tool for industrial transformation and regional cooperation.

Delegates from Southeast Asia noted strong interest in building financial partnerships that connect local market demand with Chinese manufacturing and technology capacity.

Our takeaway: Accelerating the energy transition will require financial systems that move as quickly and collaboratively as the technologies themselves.

AI and intelligent manufacturing are reshaping the transition

Several events highlighted how AI and intelligent systems are becoming deeply integrated into the clean energy economy.

At the Green Engine Accelerator 2026 launch and the Climate Lighthouse Forum on intelligent manufacturing, startups and industry leaders showcased solutions spanning AI-powered energy systems, CCUS, green fuels, hydrogen, and advanced manufacturing.

The conversations reflected a growing convergence between digital infrastructure and clean energy infrastructure. Rather than operating as separate industries, participants increasingly framed AI, automation, and energy systems as interconnected drivers of industrial decarbonization.

For many international delegates, this also reinforced China’s growing role in manufacturing clean energy hardware while increasingly shaping next-generation energy ecosystems.

Jie Xiao, General Manager of New Energy Nexus China, speaks during one of the events.

Our takeaway: The convergence of AI, digital infrastructure, and clean energy is now becoming a defining force in how industrial decarbonization will scale across Asia and beyond.

Cities are emerging as climate collaboration hubs

One of the strongest signals from the week came from the discussions around city-led climate cooperation.

At the Climate Week Seasons Connect+ and the Opening Ceremony Roundtable closed-door meetings, leaders connected initiatives from Shanghai, Bangkok, London, and other cities to explore how local climate action platforms can drive global collaboration.

The emphasis throughout these sessions was pragmatic: cities can often move faster than national systems, especially when it comes to piloting solutions, convening industries, and building partnerships.

Our takeaway: These discussions reinforce the importance of regional climate ecosystems that connect entrepreneurs, corporates, governments, and investors across borders rather than operating in isolation.

What comes next

Shanghai Climate Week 2026 showed that Asia’s clean energy transition is entering a new phase. The technologies exist. Manufacturing capacity exists. Capital and policy momentum are growing. The challenge now is building the connective tissue that allows innovation, investment, and implementation to move faster across markets.

That is where New Energy Nexus China continues to play a critical role.

For nearly a decade, NEX China has been running accelerator programs, facilitating matchmaking between founders and funders, and building strong relationships both within and outside the country.

Shanghai Climate Week was never meant to be a one-off exchange, but part of a longer effort to build sustained regional collaboration platforms across Asia’s energy transition ecosystem. In the months ahead, NEX China will continue advancing these connections through regional initiatives, including the Intelligent Manufacturing Expo Southeast Asia 2026 and Bangkok Climate Action Week 2026, where many of the conversations started in Shanghai are expected to evolve into deeper partnerships and concrete projects.

Learn more about our programs in China at newenergynexus.cn.

When it comes to climate tech, building breakthrough solutions is only part of the challenge. The real test is getting those solutions into the market, into supply chains, and into the hands of the people who need them.

In partnership with New Energy Nexus, the TERA-Award is a global competition that identifies and accelerates high-potential climate technologies. With a US$1 million Gold Prize and access to industry applications, funding, and partners across Asia, it helps founders move faster from innovation to real-world impact.

Applications for 2026 are now open. Still deciding? Start by learning what last year’s winners gained from the experience:

Barocal founder and CEO Xavier Moya holds the solid-state refrigerant. Photo from Barocal

1. Barocal

Accessed global markets and partners

For the 2025 Gold Winner, the TERA-Award was more than just its cash prize—it opened doors into the Asian market, one of the most important for energy innovation.

Barocal is rethinking cooling and heating systems using solid-state materials that eliminate harmful refrigerants while improving efficiency and reducing costs.

For its founder, Xavier Moya, the platform’s value was clear.

“It gives us valuable exposure across Asia—a critical market for our cooling and heating technology—and opens doors to a high-quality network of suppliers, partners, and investors.” — Xavier Moya, CEO and founder

For founders looking to expand beyond their home markets, this level of access can define the trajectory of their growth.

Photo from Feon Energy

2. Feon Energy

Built credibility and unlocked new opportunities

The 2025 Silver Winner is advancing battery technology with new electrolytes that improve safety and performance without disrupting existing manufacturing.

Feon Energy’s solution has strong technical potential, but scaling requires trust, visibility, and the right partnerships.

“Winning the TERA-Award will further strengthen our credibility in the Pan-Asia market, opening doors to new partners and giving us a trusted platform to showcase our technology.” — Wenxiao Huang, CEO and co-founder

Recognition at this level signals to investors, corporates, and partners that a solution is ready for serious consideration.

Photo from Syzygy Plasmonics

3. Syzygy Plasmonics

Global exposure

For the 2025 Bronze Winner, the TERA-Award helped accelerate visibility across key markets.

Syzygy Plasmonics’ NovaSAF platform converts biogas into sustainable aviation fuel using light-driven chemical reactions, offering a scalable pathway to decarbonize aviation and waste systems.

“Syzygy has a very innovative solution that needs to be deployed across the globe for maximum impact. We were introduced to a number of high-profile investors and have used the event to grow our exposure across Asia.” — Trevor Best, CEO

For technologies with global relevance, scaling impact depends on reaching the right ecosystems quickly.

Photo from TERA-Award

Why this matters now

In its previous editions, the TERA-Award has attracted over 1,700 startups from 76 countries, reflecting the growing momentum behind climate innovation.

New Energy Nexus has been a long-standing partner, connecting high-potential startups from its global network to the platform. In 2025, all three top winners were part of that pipeline, demonstrating what is possible when entrepreneurs are backed with the right support and connections.

As the clean energy transition accelerates, the gap is no longer just about innovation. It is about execution, partnerships, and speed. Platforms like the TERA-Award help close that gap.

This year, the TERA-Award 2026 is open to innovators building solutions across:

• Green fuels and hydrogen
• Next-generation energy
• Energy storage and conversion
• AI for energy systems
• Energy efficiency and carbon capture
• Smart energy systems

If you are building in these areas, apply today or before April 22, 2026.

Looking for clean energy and climate opportunities in China and beyond? Find them here.

The NEX Bridge Unveiling Ceremony at Zhangjiang Science Gate, Shanghai, China.

Over two days, New Energy Nexus and the Lujiazui Group brought 100 founders, investors, suppliers, and ecosystem partners together in Shanghai to explore one practical question: how can climate solutions move faster across borders?

The challenge isn’t technology. Instead, it’s about deploying clean energy solutions fast enough around the world. To do that, we need trust, partnerships, and pathways that turn manufacturing strength into global impact.

That’s NEX Bridge’s mission: a new initiative that connects China’s clean energy suppliers and global markets. The program provides an incubator space in Zhangjiang, alongside training, events, industry exchanges, and technology demonstrations to help companies scale and reach international opportunities.

Here are five key takeaways from the launch that highlight how NEX Bridge is turning connections into action.

Andrew Chang, CEO of New Energy Nexus.

1. Market access is the new climate lever.

For many startups, the problem isn’t building great technology. It’s getting it out to the world. NEX Bridge positions China not just as a manufacturing hub, but as a launchpad for global expansion, while giving international founders a front-row seat to what’s possible here.

“We’re incredibly excited because this is a fantastic opportunity, not only for startups to be able to go out to the world… but also for other startups to be able to see what’s happening within the Chinese market, in this clean energy powerhouse.” — Andrew Chang, CEO, New Energy Nexus

When suppliers and startups share the same room, deals happen faster. Pilots happen sooner. Markets open.

Puon Penn, CEO and Managing Partner of New Energy Nexus Ventures, and David Fishman, Principal at The Lantau Group, during the tour of the NIO House Experience Center.

2. Seeing solutions in person changes everything.

Slides and Zoom calls can only go so far. Walking factory floors, testing vehicles, and meeting founders face-to-face turns abstract ideas into tangible opportunities.

That was clear during visits to the NIO House Experience Center and the GCL Perovskite Facility, where guests saw battery swapping in action and next-generation solar manufacturing at scale.

“Seeing is really believing… having entrepreneurs meet with each other to really witness with their own eyes the solution that’s possible is key for their success.” — Puon Penn, Managing Partner, New Energy Nexus

Trust grows faster when you know how the technology works in reality.

Kirk McDonald, Project Manager – Supercharge Australia at New Energy Nexus, presents during the Unveiling Ceremony.

3. China’s speed moves the rest of the world faster.

From Southeast Asia to Australia, partners shared the same reality: climate impacts are accelerating, and deployment must match that urgency.

China’s production capacity offers a rare advantage. The challenge now is moving solutions across borders quickly and responsibly.

“China has a huge advantage in the production capacity of renewable energy technologies. The world desperately needs them… and we need to get more of them out of the country as quickly as possible.” — Kirk McDonald, Project Director, Supercharge Australia

Bridging supply with demand isn’t just good business. It’s a climate necessity.

David Fishman, Principal of The Lantau Group, presents at the Unveiling Ceremony.

4. The next wave of innovation is about flexibility.

As grids add more renewables, the opportunities shift. It’s not only about generating clean power, but storing it, moving it, and using it smarter.

Entrepreneurs working on storage, demand response, and intelligent energy management will play an outsized role in what comes next.

“Anything that contributes to flexibility should continue to be an extremely important and hot area for innovation.” — David Fishman, Principal, The Lantau Group

In other words, the future grid needs as much brains as hardware.

Tour of the GCL Perovskite Facility.

5. Ecosystems beat isolated wins.

No single company can solve climate change alone. What works is a system: incubators, capital, partners, policymakers, and entrepreneurs moving together.

NEX Bridge is designed as that connective tissue, combining workspace, demonstrations, training, and dealmaking under one roof in Zhangjiang.

“One of the most exciting things about Nex Bridge is that we’re bringing a holistic platform together… an incubator space, a demonstration area, expo… workshops and trainings to support clean energy suppliers in China to be able to go to global markets.” — Andrew Chang, CEO, New Energy Nexus

It’s not just a place to meet. It’s a place to move from idea to deployment.

The NEX Bridge Unveiling Ceremony at Zhangjiang Science Gate, Shanghai, China.

From Shanghai to the world

Clean energy isn’t only about building hardware and generating megawatts. It’s about trusting partners across borders and collaborating to make the clean energy shift happen—the fastest way possible.

At New Energy Nexus, this is how we work everywhere we operate: building ecosystems that help entrepreneurs scale across borders. In China and across 13 more countries, we connect founders with the training, capital, partners, and markets they need to grow.

Want to break down walls and build bridges with us? Take the next big step for your clean energy or climate startup: Check out programs and opportunities from our global network here.

In August 2022, the first batch of TCL solar-powered low-carbon campuses were established in Xixiang County, Hanzhong, Shaanxi.

This year, China has outpaced the world in the shift to clean energy, and it’s quickly progressing into a new phase.

Rural communities will be key to this development. They not only bear the brunt of climate impacts but also hold enormous potential to drive economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental gains. Yet they face persistent energy transition challenges and remain overlooked, with an annual funding gap of roughly 2 trillion RMB [US$282 billion] that government resources alone cannot fill. Addressing this gap requires smart, targeted interventions that can stretch limited funds into transformative impact.

New Energy Nexus China’s “Small Money, Big Change” shows how modest, strategically deployed investments can unlock far larger capital flows. By blending policy, market, and philanthropic resources—and grounding projects in local trust and participation—small sums can generate outsized impact: boosting incomes, cutting emissions, improving living standards, and creating inclusive industries.

China’s rapid clean energy expansion illustrates the power of these approaches, offering lessons that extend across the Global South. Here are five key takeaways:

1. Clean energy boosts rural livelihoods.

Renewable energy is more than a climate solution. When projects address concrete community needs, they create new income streams, strengthen resilience, and improve quality of life.

We learned it from the TCL Foundation’s low-carbon campuses.

1.6 MW of solar power was installed across 27 schools, cutting 40,000 tons of CO₂ and generating 17.4 million RMB (US$2.5 million) for education. This showed how philanthropic capital can fund sustainable infrastructure that benefits communities directly.

2. Blended finance makes the impossible possible.

The biggest wins come when public, market, and philanthropic capital work together. Each plays a unique role, and real breakthroughs happen where they intersect, bridging funding gaps and reducing risk.

We learned it from the Dalad Banner Wind Cooperative.

In Inner Mongolia, 132 village collectives co-invested with the government and banks in a 75.6 million RMB [US$10.7 million] wind farm. Each village received guaranteed annual dividends, demonstrating how blended finance can create both financial viability and equitable local benefits.

3. Technology and governance unlock hidden potential.

Digital tools, fintech, and transparent governance models help rural communities access capital, manage risk, and scale solutions faster. Technology alone isn’t enough—participatory management ensures long-term sustainability.

We learned it from Trina Solar and MYbank’s AI-enabled solar financing model.

Data-driven risk models lowered loan rates by 21% for small PV distributors in the “last mile”, expanding access to solar for households while maintaining zero defaults, illustrating how innovation in financing and governance unlocks local potential.

4. People must be at the center.

A just energy transition puts communities, workers, and women at the heart of clean energy projects. Training, shared ownership, and empowerment ensure projects deliver dignity, opportunity, and lasting benefits.

We learned it from the Tianmen women drone pilots.

A 30,000-RMB (US$4,237) seed fund trained over 100 women to operate agri-drones servicing more than 1 million hectares annually, creating new income streams and reducing pesticide use, showing the power of people-focused interventions.

5. Ecosystems scale solutions, not isolated projects.

Long-term transformation requires collaboration across government, finance, enterprises, and communities. When capital flows, policy innovation, and local participation align, isolated projects evolve into replicable ecosystems.

We learned it from Tencent SSV’s solar trust model.

A “charity + capital” trust funded rooftop PV, while surplus revenues supported health and education programs, providing a blueprint for integrated, community-centered clean energy ecosystems.

Small investments, when paired with trust, technology, and collaboration, can generate systemic impact—showing how inclusive, sustainable clean energy is possible for communities across China and the Global South. Read more about these initiatives and how we can make a bigger impact: Download our casebook today.

New Energy Nexus in China

New Energy Nexus (NEX) is a world-leading clean energy accelerator dedicated to advancing the global energy transition. In China, NEX China carries this mission forward with a local, hands-on approach—providing tailored consulting, business matchmaking, and support to governments, industrial parks, universities, and enterprises of all sizes. By identifying and scaling innovative energy transition solutions, integrating resources, and building both online and offline collaboration platforms, NEX China connects entrepreneurs, investors, research institutions, and policymakers.

Learn more about clean energy opportunities in China here.

Written by Jie Xiao, Country Director at New Energy Nexus China

I’ve just come back from three of the world’s biggest climate gatherings — New York Climate Week, Bangkok Climate Action Week, and Shanghai Climate Week — and one thing is crystal clear: the center of gravity in the global energy transition has shifted decisively to Asia. Everywhere I went, the same figures echoed: half of the world’s electricity is already consumed in this region, with Southeast Asia on course to account for 25% of global energy demand growth between now and 2035. The question is no longer whether Asia will lead the energy transition, but how.

And here’s the problem. Much of the conversation still focuses on supply and demand — China providing the technology and capital, Southeast Asia absorbing and applying it — rather than on what they can build together. That picture is badly outdated.

If Asia is to decarbonise at the speed required, this relationship must become a partnership of ecosystems, not just markets. What I saw across these climate weeks was the urgent need for entrepreneurship, collaboration, and shared innovation, not simply more shipments of solar panels across borders.

Asia already sits at the centre of this shift. Southeast Asia’s electricity demand is surging, growing nearly twice as fast as the global average. If these countries choose to lock in new fossil infrastructure, the world loses. If they leapfrog straight to clean energy, the world wins.

From left: Jason Dong, Executive Director of the Shanghai Climate Week Climate Lighthouse Professional Committee; Peter du Pont, Board Member at New Energy Nexus; Leo Horn-Phathanothai, Founder & Convenor of Bangkok Climate Action Week; Jie Xiao, General Manager of New Energy Nexus China; Ian Shih, Member of the Shanghai Climate Week Executive Committee, and International Advisor to the UNITAR Prosperity Alliance (Shanghai); and Dr. Manaswee Arayasiri, Sanitary Engineer at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

That is why the relationship between China and Southeast Asia is so pivotal. What the climate weeks in Bangkok and Shanghai showed me is that Southeast Asia is not a passive recipient, but a laboratory for innovation. Local entrepreneurs are building new business models: rooftop solar sold on installment plans, mini-grids designed for island communities, efficiency solutions adapted to local commercial buildings.

And yet, the connective tissue between China’s and Southeast Asia’s clean energy innovation ecosystems remains thin. Chinese companies bring unmatched scale, capital, and supply-chain sophistication. But too many still see Southeast Asia as another export market due to limited understanding of local markets and policies, rather than a partner in co-creation. On the other side, Southeast Asian startups are inventive but often under-capitalised, locked out of manufacturing scale, and slowed by fragmented regulation. Both sides would benefit from deeper integration: shared accelerators, joint venture funds, mutual performance guarantees, and training exchanges that allow ideas to flow in both directions.

One moment in Bangkok captured what cross-border collaboration can look like in practice. At an event co-hosted by organisers of Shanghai and Bangkok Climate Weeks with New Energy Nexus China, we saw Chinese and Thai innovators meet not as exporters and buyers, but as partners in the clean energy transition. Corporates like TCL, LONGi, and Saint-Gobain showed how they’re digitalising factories and decarbonising supply chains, while startups such as Brick Technology, i2Cool, and Thailand’s Altotech shared solutions for smart, energy-efficient buildings. In that exchange, a new ecosystem took shape — built on trust, shared learning, and the belief that Asia’s net-zero future will be co-created, not imported.

Altotech (Bangkok) provides an integrated AIOT energy management platform for building cooling and air-conditioning system management. It automates building management all in one place, reducing electricity cost by potentially 20-30%. Altotech participated in our Smart Energy Hackathon, Smart Energy Accelerator, the Decarbonize Thailand Sandbox, as well as the NEX COP28 Climate Tech Startup Accelerator.

What struck me most after these three climate weeks is how stark the choice is. Asia can double down on a transactional model — hardware shipped one way, demand absorbed the other — or it can step up to build a genuine partnership of entrepreneurs and innovators. The former may look efficient, but it risks a brittle transition that cannot withstand shocks. The latter is harder, messier, slower to start. But it is the only way to build the resilient and adaptive clean energy systems that can carry half the world’s population into a decarbonised future.

Noel Rosal, Governor of Albay Province, Philippines, at Bangkok Climate Action Week 2025, discusses how local communities and institutions across the Asia Pacific are driving climate adaptation and mitigation through finance, leadership, and practical solutions.

China has much to gain from this shift: opening new markets, diversifying demand, and learning from the hard realities of diverse Southeast Asian geographies. Southwest Asia, in turn, gains access to proven technology and capital, while embedding its own innovators in global supply chains. This is not dependency; it is mutual advantage.

What New York Climate Week – with its big names and Western donors – offered was the view from the top: big finance, global politics, systemic frameworks. But it was Bangkok and Shanghai that offered the view from the ground: dynamic, entrepreneurial, urgent. If we want this to be the Asian decade of climate leadership, that is where our focus must be.

The lesson is simple. Southeast Asia’s clean-tech future will be built on ecosystems of entrepreneurs, investors and innovators working across borders, taking risks together, and co-creating solutions suited to the region’s realities. That was the palpable change I felt in Bangkok and Shanghai, and it is the change we must now scale.