Electricity demand in China has surged to a record high of more than 1.5 billion kilowatts, amid a widespread heatwave considered one of the most intense in the country's history.
State media reported on Thursday, citing the National Meteorological Administration, that temperatures in the northwest and southwest of the country have reached their highest levels on record over the past two days, according to Reuters.
This heatwave is spreading from the densely populated cities of Chongqing and Chengdu in the south to the port of Guangzhou in the south, amid extreme temperatures that meteorologists link to climate change, increasing pressure on infrastructure and posing a challenge for local authorities.
Chim Lee, senior energy and climate change expert at The Economist, said that solar power accounted for half of the increase in power generation in June, and that hydropower production nationwide was up compared to 2023, though still lower than the corresponding period in 2022.
The National Energy Administration announced on Wednesday that the country's electricity load reached its highest level in history for the third time this month, an increase of 55 million kilowatts over last year's record
