China Breaks Global Power Use Records Amid Heat and Recovery
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China’s electricity consumption exceeded 1 trillion kilowatt-hours for two consecutive months for the first time ever this summer, driven by searing temperatures and a steady economic recovery.
According to a National Energy Administration report released Oct. 31, power usage across society hit 1.0089 trillion kilowatt-hours in July and 1.0154 trillion kilowatt-hours in August—setting new global records. The surge came during China’s hottest summer since complete meteorological records began in 1961, with an average temperature of 22.3 degrees Celsius (72.1 degrees Fahrenheit), the China Meteorological Administration said.
The China Electricity Council attributed the surge primarily to increased residential cooling demand, with household electricity consumption rising 18% year-on-year in July. This alone accounted for more than 40% of the total growth in electricity usage across the two-month span.
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- China’s electricity consumption topped 1 trillion kWh for two consecutive months—July (1.0089T kWh) and August (1.0154T kWh) 2025—due to extreme heat and economic recovery.
- Renewable generation rose 15.5% year-on-year to 2.9T kWh (about 40% of total electricity), with wind and solar output up 28.3% to 1.7T kWh.
- China’s installed renewable capacity could surpass 3 billion kW by 2030, more than doubling current levels.
- July 2025：
- China's electricity consumption surpassed 1 trillion kilowatt-hours in a single month, reaching 1.0089 trillion kWh.
- July 2025：
- Household electricity consumption in China rose 18% year-on-year.
- July 2025 and August 2025：
- Residential cooling demand accounted for more than 40% of the total growth in electricity usage.
- August 2025：
- China's electricity consumption exceeded 1 trillion kilowatt-hours for the second consecutive month, hitting 1.0154 trillion kWh.
- Summer 2025：
- China experienced its hottest summer since complete meteorological records began in 1961, with an average temperature of 22.3°C.
- First three quarters of 2025：
- Power use in the primary industry increased by 10.2% year-on-year; secondary industry up 3.4%; tertiary sector up 7.5%. The services sector contributed 60.7% of GDP growth, and industry 34.6%.
- First nine months of 2025：
- Renewable generation increased 15.5% year-on-year to 2.9 trillion kWh, about 40% of total electricity production. Combined wind and solar output reached 1.7 trillion kWh, 22% of all electricity in 2025.
- 2025：
- Increase in wind and solar generation (382.2 billion kWh) surpassed the total growth in electricity use (358.1 billion kWh).
- In 2025：
- The State Grid Energy Research Institute projects newly installed renewable capacity could reach 430 million to 500 million kilowatts.
- Oct. 31, 2025：
- The National Energy Administration released its report documenting electricity consumption records from July and August 2025.
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