BEIJING — China's electricity generation is rising at a faster pace after a significant increase in May, buoyed by growing demand, the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) said on June 17. 

"As a bellwether of China's economy, a hike in power generation shows the country's economic and social activities are returning to normal at an accelerated pace," said Shan Baoguo, deputy chief economist with the State Grid Energy Research Institute.

Most parts of China have seen higher temperatures since June, which also contributed to the increase, Shan added.

In East China's Jiangsu province, electricity consumed by the information technology and software industries continued to grow rapidly, while mining, food processing, and equipment manufacturing sectors also reported rapid increases in power consumption.

The gradual industrial recovery and the summer harvest explained part of the recent increases, said Wang Yiqing with the Xuzhou branch of SGCC.

Electricity consumption in the city of Xuzhou in Jiangsu province jumped by 15.4 percent year-on-year in early June. Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group, a leading engineering machinery manufacturer, saw its power consumption up by almost 30 percent during the period, according to Wang.

China's key economic indicators are expected to continue to improve with a slew of measures to unleash domestic demand and stabilize business operations coming into effect, Shan noted.

The country's power generation climbed by 9.1 percent year-on-year in early June.