China's electricity output in the first four months of the year rose 12.6 percent year on year to 730 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), said Wang Yonggan, secretary general of China Electricity Council.

During the same period, electricity consumption rose 13.46 percent year on year to 743.2 billion kWh, he said.

Wang said he expected China's total electricity consumption this year to increase 13.5 percent year on year to 2,456 billion kWh.

He said the country was expected to add 70 million kilowatts of newly installed generation capacity this year, of which 30 million kilowatts would be added during the first half.

China has been expanding its power generation capacity at an annual rate of 15 percent over the past three years, in a bid to meet growing demand for power to fuel its fast-growing economy.

Due to expected improvements in water levels from increased rainfall this year, hydropower output was expected to increase, which would help ease the country's power shortage.

In the fourth quarter, the gap between electricity supply and demand would shrink to 7.5 million kilowatts, he said. 

(Shenzhen Daily)

hydropower : （水力发出的电力）