China's power use up slightly in May

China's power consumption accelerated 5.2 percent year-on-year in May to 406.1 billion kilowatt-hours, due to increased industrial activities.

This is faster than April's 3.7 percent, the National Energy Administration said Thursday.

he data echoed the industrial value-added output which grew 9.6 percent in May after adjusting for inflation, 0.3 percentage point higher than the figure in April.

Despite a mild monthly increase, China is unlikely to face a severe power strain this summer, and the whole year figure will remain relatively flat, as growth in the world's second economy is widely predicted to dip below 8 percent in the second quarter.

The NEA said in a statement Wednesday that China will face a smaller electricity shortage this summer compared with previous years, due to dwindling demand and a lower expansion in energy-intensive industries with the slowing of the country's economic growth.

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