
Industries spark power use rebound
China's power consumption rose 6.1% in October.
China's electricity use, an indicator of economic growth, increased 6.1% in October year-on year, said the National Energy Administration (NEA). Power use in September grew 2.9% % year-on year.
Electricity for industrial use rose 5.9% year-on-year in October, up sharply from September's 0.9% increase.
China's electricity consumption grew 4.9% in the first ten months compared with the same period in 2011. The pace of increase was also higher than the 4.8% growth registered during the January-September period, NEA said.
Power consumption figures come after other indicators, including industrial output, retail sales and fixed asset investment all showed recent signs of a revival.
China's economy expanded 7.4% in the third quarter from a year earlier, its lowest rate in more than three years. The Chinese government scaled down its growth target to 7.5% for 2012, the first time in eight years the country has targeted economic growth below 8%.