CHINA’S electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, registered a robust increase in February, as COVID-triggered disruptions gradually waned and the country’s economy recovered steadily.

Total power use in China jumped 11% year on year last month to 695 billion kilowatt-hours, data from the National Energy Administration showed.

Electricity consumed by the secondary industry surged 19.7% from a year ago in February. Power consumption in the primary and tertiary industries rose 8.6% and 4.4% year on year, respectively.

Residential power consumption logged a year-on-year decline of 9.2%.

In the first two months, the country’s power use increased 2.3% year on year to 1.38 trillion kilowatt-hours. (Xinhua)