Over the first 11 months of this year, power consumption in East China's Zhejiang province rose by 15.4 percent year-on-year to 503.8 billion kWh, bringing the province's annual power consumption beyond 500 billion kWh for the first time in history.

Following Shandong, Guangdong, and Jiangsu provinces, Zhejiang became the fourth Chinese province to exceed the 500-billion-kWh threshold in annual power consumption.

Over the first three quarters of this year, Zhejiang's power consumption reached 417 billion kWh, up 18.07 percent from the previous year. The surge in electricity usage was largely due to the province's booming export-oriented manufacturing sectors such as automobiles, home appliances, and textiles.

The growth rate in power consumption dropped in the fourth quarter due to a nationwide strain in electricity supply and tightening restrictions on carbon emissions. State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co still managed to enhance electric power transmission, optimize the use of new energy, induce electricity inflow from outside the province, and ensure a stable electricity supply throughout the period.

Workers connect photovoltaic power generation panels in Zhejiang province. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]