Heatwave fuels record electricity demand in Shanghai

Shanghai's power grid hit a record peak load of 42.22 million kilowatts on Wednesday, 57,000 kilowatts higher than last year's peak of 42.16 million kilowatts, according to the State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Co.

The city's soaring temperatures have continued to drive electricity demand to new highs, with air conditioning expected to account for about 44 percent of the total load.

Beyond cooling demand, rapidly expanded infrastructure — such as intelligent computing centers, as well as internet-related services, software, and IT services — have also become major drivers of electricity consumption in Shanghai.

"As temperatures rise, electricity demand on Shanghai's power grid is climbing rapidly and is expected to remain at high levels over the next two days," Yu Leting, an official of State Grid Shanghai's control center, said.

"We will closely monitor changes in temperatures and electricity demand, continuously optimize operations, and actively adjust power supply based on supply and demand conditions to ensure a stable power supply for Shanghai residents."

A slew of measures to effectively maintain Shanghai's power supply were introduced, including the completion of more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours of green power transactions from 15 Chinese provinces and regions by the end of June — 26 percent more than the whole-year volume of 2025.