- China records an increase in electricity consumption
- Consumption rose 9.8% in June
- Economic recovery is responsible for the increase
The Chinese National Energy Administration (NEA) has stated that the country saw a 9.8% increase in consumption in June; a 16.2% increase from last years figures. The increase in consumption is due to China’s economic recovery trajectory from the COVID-19 pandemic of last year. Consumption for June rose to 703 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) from last years total consumption of 3.93 trillion kWh in the first half of 2021; up 16.2% year-on-year. Electricity consumption by residential customers grew to 88.7 billion kWh, up a 6.8% increase from 2020.
The Director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, Lin Boqiang, said the increase indicated a good momentum for Chinese economy. ”The growth also comes as a result of a low base last year, but it also indicated good momentum in China’s economic rebound,” Lin said. He also noted that the higher than usual temperatures also increased electricity use.