China's power use up 2.5% in Q1

BEIJING - China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, reported steady expansion in the first quarter of 2025, official data showed on Friday.

Power use rose 2.5 percent year-on-year in the period to hit 2.38 trillion kilowatt-hours, according to data released by the National Energy Administration.

In breakdown, power consumed by the country's primary and secondary industries gained 8.7 percent and 1.9 percent year-on-year, respectively, while that of the tertiary sector rose by 5.2 percent.

Driven by booming technologies like AI, cloud computing and 5G, the electricity use in the internet and related services sector recorded a 25.7 percent increase year-on-year on a daily average basis.

The power used in the charging and battery-swapping service sector surged 42.3 percent year-on-year on a daily average basis, reflecting the rapid expansion of the new energy vehicle industry.

Electricity consumption associated with new industries, new business formats and new business models also maintained strong momentum during the period. Analysts say the trend highlights China's accelerating shift toward innovation-driven development.