China's power use surges in Q1 as economy rebounds

BEIJING - China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, soared 21.2 percent in the first quarter of 2021 as the country's economy continued to resume growth, data from China's top economic planner showed on Monday.

Specifically, power use in the primary and secondary industries respectively surged 26.4 percent and 24.1 percent year-on-year, and power use in the tertiary industry jumped 28.2 percent from a year ago, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

Residential power consumption registered a 4.7 percent yearly increase in the first three months.

China's economy grew 18.3 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, as strong domestic and foreign demand powered recovery from a low base in early 2020 when COVID-19 stalled the world's second-largest economy.