China's electricity consumption hits record highs

China's electricity consumption in both July and August topped 1 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh), reaching historic highs, while full-year consumption is expected to rise around 5 percent, an industry report showed on Tuesday.

Total power consumption for the first three quarters of 2025 reached 7.77 trillion kWh, an increase of 4.6 percent year-on-year, according to data released by the China Electricity Council. The consecutive breakthroughs in July and August underscored robust demand during the summer peak, the report said.

As of the end of September, China's total installed power generation capacity stood at 3.72 terawatts (TW), up 17.5 percent from a year earlier. Non-fossil fuel sources accounted for 60.8 percent of the total capacity, indicating significant progress in the power sector's green and low-carbon transition, according to the report.

The CEC predicted that electricity consumption growth in the fourth quarter will surpass that of the third quarter. Full-year power consumption is projected to reach approximately 10.4 trillion kWh, increasing by about 5 percent year-on-year.

New power generation capacity added this year is expected to exceed 500 gigawatts (GW), marking another historical record, with wind and solar capacity projected to surpass 1.8 TW. By the end of 2025, total national installed generation capacity is forecast to reach around 3.9 TW, representing a 16.5 percent increase year-on-year.

For the upcoming winter season, the CEC anticipates a generally balanced national power supply and demand.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn