China's clean-energy-generated power usage rises

BEIJING -- China consumed 715.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity generated by clean energy sources in the first nine months of 2012, up 22.5 percent year-on-year.

The figure, released by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission on Wednesday, accounted for 20 percent of the country's total on-grid power during the period. This represents an increase of 3.1 percentage points from the same period last year, according to a commission statement.

In the month of September, electricity generated from clean energy sources surged 43 percent year-on-year to 100 billion kwh.

As of the end of September, China's hydropower generation capacity rose 7.1 percent year-on-year to 205.33 million kilowatts. Wind and nuclear power generation capacity added 37.2 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively, to 55.21 million kilowatts and 12.57 million kilowatts.

To meet the target of cutting energy use per unit of gross domestic product by 16 percent by 2015 from 2011 levels, China has taken a number of measures, including increasing investment in clean energy, to boost the share of non-fossil fuels in its power structure.