China’s power use up 4.7% in first four months

This aerial photo taken on May 16, 2023 shows wind turbines of Honghe Yongning wind power plant in Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan province.(HANDOUT / YUNNAN PROVINCIAL ENERGY INVESTMENT GROUP / XINHUA)

BEIJING – China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, saw a steady expansion in the first four months of the year, official data showed.

Total power use in China expanded 4.7 percent year-on-year to 2.81 trillion kilowatt-hours in the January-April period, according to the National Energy Administration.

Power consumption in primary industry rose 10.3 percent year-on-year to 35.1 billion kilowatt-hours during the period

Power consumption in primary industry rose 10.3 percent year-on-year to 35.1 billion kilowatt-hours during the period. Electricity consumed by secondary and tertiary industries increased 5 percent and 7 percent, respectively.

Residential power use edged up 0.3 percent from a year ago in the first four months of 2023.

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In April alone, China's power consumption totaled 690.1 billion kilowatt-hours, up 8.3 percent year-on- year.