Peak power demand in major regions across China is estimated to have repeatedly hit record highs, driven by surging air-conditioning use amid a heatwave that continues day after day nationwide. With the heat likely to persist through late August, this situation is expected to continue for a considerable time.
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A cartoon from a Chinese outlet illustrating the heatwave that has recently blanketed nearly all of China, driving the surge in power demand. / Xinjing Bao
According to reports from Xinjing Bao and other outlets on the 6th, China's State Grid Corporation announced that day that peak power demand across three major regional grids — North China, East China, and Northeast China — hit record highs on the 3rd and 4th. This suggests demand surged not only in the capital Beijing but also in major cities like Tianjin and Shanghai and other areas dense with industrial facilities. The corporation said that recent, continuous extreme heat has rapidly boosted demand for cooling-related electricity, and pledged to optimize grid operations to ensure a stable power supply.
Looking at electricity use by region, Anhui Province's peak demand reached 69.99 million kilowatts on the 4th, up 2.1% from the same period last year — a new record high. Provincial authorities attributed the increase to a sharp rise in cooling-related power consumption from the continuous heatwave, along with growing demand from the expansion of computing facilities such as AI data centers and increased economic activity.
Many other areas have also endured record-breaking heat. In Zibo, Shandong Province, the daytime high reached as much as 39 degrees the day before. Anshan in Liaoning Province, Tianjin, Wuhan in Hubei Province, and Beijing recorded highs of 38, 37, 36, and 35 degrees, respectively — suggesting that anything below 35 degrees barely counts as hot anymore this year.
According to the outlets, the heatwave in China has recently been concentrated in North China, East China, and Northeast China. In Xinjiang, in the country's west, the heat has been especially intense, with daytime temperatures exceeding 45 degrees.
China's weather authorities have urged preparation for the heat, warning that over the next 10 days, temperatures in parts of Liaoning Province and the broader northeast could approach or surpass record highs since weather observation began. This underscores just how unprecedented this year's heat has been compared to the past.
Hong Soon-do |
