China's electricity market records robust expansion in H1

China's electricity market witnessed robust expansion in the first half of 2026, driven by steady economic demand and a growing appetite for clean energy, according to the latest official data.

Total market-traded electricity soared 24.2 percent year-on-year to reach 3,684.8 billion kilowatt-hours between January and June, as per the figures released by the National Energy Administration on Monday.

A breakdown of the trading varieties during the six-month period highlights the stabilizing role of medium- and long-term contracts, which accounted for the vast majority of the volume at 3,256.8 billion kWh.

Meanwhile, spot market trading — a critical mechanism for price discovery and flexible grid operation — totaled 428 billion kWh, the administration said.

The country's push toward a low-carbon economy was also reflected in the steady growth of green electricity trading, which reached 164.1 billion kWh in the first half of the year, representing a 6.6 percent year-on-year increase.

The upward trajectory remained strong heading into the summer. In June alone, national market-traded power reached 627.5 billion kWh, up 20.8 percent compared to the same month last year.

Notably, the growth of clean energy procurement accelerated significantly during the month. June's green power trading volume jumped 15.0 percent year-on-year to hit 27.5 billion kWh, underscoring an increasing enthusiasm among enterprises to meet renewable energy targets and lower their carbon footprints, the administration said.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn