China's peak power load hits another summer record

BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's peak power load hit a fresh record high on Friday, the fourth such record since the start of this summer, reaching 1.56 billion kilowatts, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said.

This figure is 4.8 million kilowatts higher than the previous record, the NEA revealed, attributing the surge in power consumption to high temperatures and steady economic growth.

To cope with rising electricity demand, the NEA has stepped up efforts to upgrade power distribution facilities in areas with relatively weak infrastructure and established a rapid-response mechanism for emergency power restoration.

It has also strengthened power supply for tourist attractions, hotels, guesthouses and expressway service areas, while ensuring stable operation of the country's electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

China's electricity demand has maintained robust growth so far this year, driven primarily by the improving economy, accelerated industrial upgrading, and the expansion of new growth drivers, according to the NEA.

Major economic provinces have seen particularly strong electricity consumption. South China's Guangdong Province, for example, reported that its total electricity consumption had exceeded 100 billion kilowatt-hours in July, making it the first provincial-level region in China to surpass this level in a single month. Enditem