Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday called for efforts to optimize China's energy structure and deepen reforms in energy systems to provide solid energy support for the country's green transition and high-quality development.
Li made the remarks while presiding over a State Council group study session focused on energy security and green and low-carbon transformation.
Enhancing energy security is an important foundation for building a strong energy sector, Li said, calling for continued efforts in improving the resilience and security capabilities of the energy system.
Li pointed out that the key to securing initiative in energy security is further optimizing and refining the energy mix, advancing energy-related science and technology innovation, and accelerating the building of a new type of energy system.
He urged efforts to fully tap the potential of renewable energy sources, improve the clean and efficient use of traditional energy sources, and build a power grid that is safe, reliable, green, low-carbon, strong, resilient, smart, and flexible.
Coordinating energy security and transition requires a systematic approach that deepens reform of systems and mechanisms, Li said, calling for improving relevant standards and certification regimes and for building a unified national power market.
Tang Guangfu, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of Huairou National Laboratory, delivered a briefing at the session.
Vice Premiers Ding Xuexiang, Zhang Guoqing and Liu Guozhong participated in the discussions.
Chinese premier calls for improving energy structure
China's electricity consumption, a key barometer of economic activity, reached 2.5141 trillion kilowatt-hours in the first quarter of 2026, up 5.2 percent year on year, according to data released by the National Energy Administration on Monday.
A breakdown of the data shows robust growth across various sectors, as the country's economy got off to a good start in the first quarter with new growth drivers.
From January to March, China's primary industry saw an increase of 7.1 percent in power consumption, bringing total power used to 33.6 billion kilowatt-hours. The secondary industry consumed nearly 1.6 trillion kilowatt-hours, up 4.7 percent from a year ago. Within this sector, the high-tech and equipment manufacturing industry posted particularly strong growth, with electricity consumption increasing 8.6 percent year on year.
The tertiary industry recorded 8.1-percent growth in power use, totaling 483.3 billion kilowatt-hours. Notably, the battery charging and swapping service sector consumed 37.6 billion kilowatt-hours, surging 53.8 percent, while the internet data service sector used 22.9 billion kilowatt-hours, up 44 percent. The power consumption of urban and rural residents was 398.5 billion kilowatt-hours, increasing by 3.4 percent year on year.
In March alone, electricity consumption reached 859.5 billion kilowatt-hours, up 3.5 percent year on year.
China's economy grew five percent in the first quarter, outpacing expectations of some overseas institutions and reinforcing the country's role as a stabilizing force in an increasingly volatile global economy.
China's power use up 5.2 percent in Q1
