China hits record 10.4 trillion kWh electricity consumption

China consumed 10.4 trillion kilowatt-hours in 2025, up 5% year-on-year and marking the first time any country has exceeded 10 trillion. This milestone coexists with a continued reliance on coal, which accounts for 55% of its electricity.

There is a figure worth reading twice before drawing conclusions. China’s National Energy Administration announced on January 17, 2026, that the country used **10.4 trillion kilowatt-hours** in 2025. It is the first time an economy has crossed the 10-trillion barrier, setting a standard no other nation has reached: more than double that of the United States and exceeding the combined consumption of the European Union, Russia, India, and Japan.

Growth was **5%** year-on-year. While not spectacular for a country accustomed to higher rates, any percentage carries weight on such a massive base. The tertiary sector rose by **8.2%** and residential consumption by **6.3%**. Together they explain roughly half of the total increase. The other half, the part that truly moves the needle, comes from industry.

## Electric mobility and data centers drive demand

Electricity consumption for battery charging and swapping services for electric vehicles surged by **48.8%**. By late November 2025, China had over **19.32 million charging points**, a 52% increase from the previous year. This infrastructure supports the world’s largest fleet of electric cars and consumes accordingly.

The internet, software, and IT services sector increased its consumption by **17%**. Behind this are data centers, cloud-based AI services, and a 5G network that counted **4.7 million base stations** by the end of 2025. Digitalization is not free: every query to a language model, every video served from a server, and every transaction passes through machines that consume electricity.

Green manufacturing adds another layer. Production of new energy vehicles grew by more than 20%, and wind equipment production by over 30%. China does not just install renewables; it produces them at industrial scale for domestic and export markets. That manufacturing process also consumes energy.

Then there is the climate. Summer 2025 was the hottest in China since 1961. Residential consumption in provinces like **Henan**, **Shaanxi**, and **Shandong** rose by more than 30%, with air conditioning accounting for up to 40% of peak-hour demand. For the first time, monthly consumption exceeded one trillion kWh in July and August. Air conditioning, that invention that saved lives but complicated grids, plays a major role in the record.

## Coal still dominates, despite renewable growth

Here comes the nuance behind the headline. Despite being the world’s largest investor in clean energy, coal provides **55%** of China’s electricity generation. Hydropower covers 13-14%, with seasonal variability. Wind power accounts for 11%, growing between 16% and 27% annually. Solar represents 10-11%, with increases ranging from 43% to 48%. Nuclear contributes 4-5%, and natural gas 3%.

In 2025, China added approximately **500 GW** of wind and solar capacity: about 380 GW solar and 120 GW wind, according to projections from the State Grid Energy Research Institute. Electricity generated from these sources represented around 22% of total consumption. In the first quarter of 2025, combined wind and solar capacity, **1,482 GW**, surpassed thermal capacity (1,450 GW) for the first time. It is an era change on paper, though actual production lags installed capacity because the sun doesn’t shine at night and the wind doesn’t always blow.

The key to understanding why China isn’t shutting down coal plants overnight lies underground. The country produced **4.759 billion tonnes** of coal in 2024, more than half of the global total, covering around 90% of its needs. Its overall energy self-sufficiency hovers near 85%. Oil is 73% imported and gas 61%. Coal, however, is domestic. It does not depend on maritime routes or partners who might change their minds.

## The record doesn’t miccionan Chinese consumers are euphoric

It would be a mistake to read the 10.4 trillion as a sign of strong domestic consumption. Most of the increase comes from manufacturing, which absorbs **64%** of total consumption, particularly export-oriented sectors. Chinese industry uses approximately 60% of all its electricity, far above the OECD average of 32%.

Residential increases largely respond to extreme heat, not discretionary spending growth. Retail consumption, real estate activity, and consumer confidence remain depressed. When private consumption weakens, the state compensates with investment in infrastructure and export-oriented manufacturing. This is the classic pattern of the Chinese model, and this record fits into it without forcing.

One detail often overlooked: China has approximately **1,450 GW** of installed thermal capacity, the world’s largest fleet, yet these plants operate at only 50% capacity. Much of that capital is sunk. New plants approved in 2024 totaled **62 GW**. Keeping them alive has logic beyond economics: energy security, social stability in mining provinces, grid flexibility, and provincial fiscal commitments that are difficult to unwind.

## Comparison with Europe reveals two distinct pictures

For comparison, China consumed 10,400 TWh in 2024 versus Germany’s 462 TWh and Spain’s 248 TWh. That is 42 times more than Spain. Per capita consumption in China, around **7,300 kWh**, exceeds Germany’s 5,500 and Spain’s 5,200. However, in terms of renewable share, Germany leads with 60%, trinc by Spain at 57%, while China stands at 36%. Regarding coal, China is at 55%, Germany at 25%, and Spain at 1%. Low-carbon electricity reaches 42% in China, 60% in Germany, and 77% in Spain.

The paradox is that Spain imports virtually all its fossil energy, while China is mostly self-sufficient. The country emitting the most CO₂ is also the fastest deploying clean technology and controls much of the supply chains the rest of the world will need. China invested **$625 billion** in clean energy in 2024, representing 31% of the global total. Chinese companies hold 75% of global patents in clean tech, compared to 5% in 2000. And it reached its 2030 target of 1,200 GW of wind and solar six years early.

The lingering question is whether China can decouple economic growth from coal before sunk costs become too heavy. The bet seems clear: use domestic coal as a bridge while building the renewable system it will later sell to the world. It is a race against time, and no one knows yet how it ends. What is certain is that the 10-trillion-kWh record cannot be explained by a single cause, and those who reduce it to propaganda or miracle miss the interesting parts.