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Can US afford cost of clean-energy protectionism in race for AI capabilities?_我的网站

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    Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT
Recent media reports have questioned whether a natural gas plant built to power an Amazon data center project in Texas could become the largest climate polluter in the US. The controversy, whatever the eventual outcome, offers a reality check for America's artificial intelligence (AI) drive. 
It exposes a growing contradiction: The US is racing to expand its AI capabilities, yet its protectionist trade policies are making it harder and more costly to access some of the clean-energy technologies needed to sustain that expansion. This raises a broader question: Can an energy-intensive AI race afford the costs of renewable energy protectionism?
The US is entering a new era of rising electricity demand. Data centers, the backbone of the AI economy, are emerging as one of the fastest-growing sources of power consumption. Much of that demand is still being met by fossil fuels: The International Energy Agency reports that natural gas supplies more than 40 percent of the electricity used by data centers in the US, making it their largest source of power. 
So, it's not surprising that the expansion of data centers has raised concerns over their environmental impact and the pressure they could place on local power systems and electricity bills. A Gallup survey conducted in March found that seven in 10 Americans opposed the construction of AI data centers in their local area, including 48 percent who strongly opposed such projects.
The findings point to a broader challenge for the US: The race to develop AI is increasingly becoming a race to meet growing energy needs. Addressing this challenge will require more than advances in computing technology; it will also depend on an energy system capable of delivering large amounts of reliable, affordable and cleaner power. That, in turn, will require faster development and broader deployment of clean-energy technologies, from solar power to energy storage.
Yet in the clean-energy sector, the US has increasingly relied on protectionist trade measures that limit access to cost-competitive products from global markets. The country has placed greater emphasis on expanding domestic manufacturing capacity, but rebuilding entire clean-energy supply chains at home is a costly and time-consuming process. Even if expanded domestic production is achieved, it is likely to come at a higher cost, making the deployment of renewable technologies more expensive and potentially slower.
The solar industry offers a clear illustration of this policy direction. The US has continued to expand trade barriers in the sector. Reuters reported that the US government announced on Thursday a series of price floors and a 15 percent tariff on products made from polysilicon, a raw material used in solar panels.
The challenge lies in the limited scale of the US polysilicon industry. Reuters reported that the country has two polysilicon factories. Against this backdrop, relying on domestic polysilicon production while restricting access to imports runs counter to the goal of expanding solar power in the US. The country risks creating barriers that ultimately constrain its own access to the global supply chains needed for growth.
The pressing issue for the US is the speed at which new power demand is emerging. The expansion of data centers is creating electricity needs that cannot wait for domestic clean-energy capacity to develop gradually. Global supply chains can provide the scale and speed required in the near term. By narrowing access to these sources, the US risks turning clean-energy policy into a drag on the infrastructure needed for its AI race.
The US has placed AI high on its economic and technological agenda. The outcome of this race will matter greatly, as financial markets are also watching whether America can turn its AI efforts into commercial success.
This leaves the US with a difficult choice: Can it afford the cost of clean-energy protectionism while racing to build AI infrastructure? The answer may be no. Trade barriers that limit access to competitive renewable technologies could ultimately become a constraint on the AI expansion that Washington is seeking to accelerate.
The author is a reporter with the Global Times. [email protected]

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　    阿里云优惠券 先领券再下单        2025年6月19日，京东正式公布“618”年中购物节战报。数据显示，截至6月18日23:59，京东零售线上业务、线下业态及京东外卖整体订单量超22亿单，下单用户数同比增长超100%，京东App日活跃用户数（DAU）创历史新高。这一成绩不仅刷新了平台纪录，更凸显了AI技术、即时零售与下沉市场对消费增长的强劲拉动作用。    AI技术深度渗透：数字人直播成交额破140亿，智能体覆盖1.4万岗位    今年618期间，京东AI技术成为核心驱动力。大模型服务调用量环比去年“双11”增长130%，覆盖从3B到750B的全尺寸、多模态序列，全面赋能采销、客服、物流等环节。    数字人直播：超1.7万家品牌商家启用数字人主播，累计带动GMV超140亿元。新推出的“高定数字人”支持双人捧哏、换装走秀等互动玩法，从“闲时主播”跃升为直播间“C位”。智能体上岗：超1.4万个智能体在人力资源、客服、采销等岗位上岗，解决18%内部工作，显著提升运营效率。消费者体验升级：京东健康依托医疗大模型，实现看病买药全场景智能化；京东零售XR团队推出“裸眼3D广告”“3D智能居家搭配”等创新工具，用户通过手机即可获得沉浸式购物体验。即时零售爆发：外卖日订单破2500万，七鲜自有品牌销售增340%    京东外卖首次深度参与618，覆盖全国350个城市，日订单量突破2500万单，12万名全职骑手保障配送时效。与此同时，京东七鲜线上订单同比增长超150%，自有品牌商品销售增长340%。其中，与龙虎联名的“风油爆浆软糖”、6.18L皮尔森原浆啤酒等新品上市即爆火，成为年轻消费者追捧的“网红商品”。    下沉市场与国补政策共振：县域订单增长超130%，家电以旧换新成交额激增    今年618，京东通过“国补+平台补贴”双轮驱动，激活下沉市场消费潜力。    县域消费爆发：县域农村地区订单量同比增长超130%，用户数同比增长超140%。

C | 南昌市南昌县、菏泽市成武县分别成为消费力最强、增长最强区县。家电以旧换新：国家补贴叠加京东百亿补贴，推动空调、电视等品类销售爆发。

D | 百吋电视成交额同比增长260%，高温区域999元系列空调销售同比提升超120%。农产品上行：京东超市百亿农补项目带动2.6万款农产品销售增长，京喜自营“厂货百补”计划助力产业带商家，纸品订单量超1000万单。多元业态协同：3C数码门店成交额增2倍，服务订单量飙升    京东线下业态同样表现亮眼：    3C数码门店：全渠道成交额同比增长超2倍，手机、电脑品类成交额突破3倍增幅。河南省以6倍增速领跑全国，安徽省、山东省增幅超5倍。生活服务：京东自营家政服务成交额破亿，家电清洗、洗衣订单量分别同比增长211%、超10倍。物流升级：京东物流“提前送”通过大数据前置仓储，保障新品、爆品第一时间送达；“送装一体”订单同比增长超300%，覆盖全国100%区县。消费趋势洞察：AI硬件、国潮商品成新宠，健康场景智能化加速    京东618消费数据揭示四大趋势：    AI硬件崛起：AI笔记本成交额同比增长151%，智能手表新品成交额增长301%。国潮文化复兴：热度TOP100品牌中超七成为中国品牌，“非遗元素”产品搜索量同比增长270%。健康场景智能化：京东健康AI京医累计服务用户超5000万，实现看病买药全链路智能化。即时满足需求增长：京东秒送依托O2O能力，推动摄影摄像品类成交额同比增长超3倍。未来展望：AI与即时零售持续赋能，构建消费新生态    京东集团CEO许冉表示，2025年618的突破性增长，验证了AI技术与即时零售对消费升级的双重价值。

E | 未来，京东将进一步深化大模型应用，推动数字人直播、智能体等工具的标准化输出；同时，加速即时零售网络下沉，计划年内新增5000家合作门店，覆盖更多县域市场。    结语    2025年京东618以“又好又便宜”为核心，通过AI技术、即时零售与下沉市场战略，实现了订单量与用户数的双重飞跃。这一成绩不仅为消费市场注入信心，更为行业提供了“技术+场景”深度融合的范本。随着AI与即时零售的持续进化，京东或将引领新一轮消费革命。

            

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