China to see big rise in electricity consumption

It is estimated that China's electricity consumption, a barometer of economic activity, will significantly increase this year, driven by the economic recovery and weather extremes, according to estimates by an institute.

Total electricity consumption nationwide in 2023 will increase by 6 percent to 8 percent year-on-year to 9.16 to 9.33 trillion kilowatt hours, with the power supply and demand to become especially tight in summer, according to the State Grid Energy Research Institute, a think tank under the State Grid Corp of China.

The estimated growth rate is in line with the predictions of economists and international organizations on Chinese economy.

It is necessary to step up load management while strengthening the integration of new energy, said the institute.

China's electricity consumption has experienced an increase of 3.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year. In March alone, China's power usage surged by 5.9 percent year-on-year, amounting to 736.9 billion kilowatt-hours, according to data released by the National Energy Administration.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn