On December 11, Chengdu, Sichuan, achieved a milestone with its annual electricity sales exceeding 100 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), a year-on-year increase of 6.78%. This makes Chengdu the first provincial capital in central and western China to surpass 100 billion kWh in both total electricity consumption and sales, adding a significant chapter to its 120-year electricity history.
The "100 billion kWh" milestone carries substantial weight—equivalent to the annual power generation of the Three Gorges Dam. Historically, Chengdu's electricity sales were just 98 million kWh in 1949, surpassed 10 billion kWh in 2001, and exceeded 50 billion kWh in 2016, reflecting a clear growth trajectory.
Electricity consumption serves as an economic barometer. According to Chengdu's Bureau of Statistics, the city's GDP for the first three quarters of 2025 reached 1.82269 trillion yuan, up 5.8% year-on-year at constant prices. The parallel rise in electricity demand and economic growth stems from industrial upgrades, the expansion of new productive forces, and greener lifestyles, showcasing Chengdu's vitality across production, investment, and consumption sectors.
**Production: Industrial Foundation Drives Growth** At Chengdu Silan Semiconductor, LED and integrated circuit chip production lines operate at full capacity. The company reported a 200% year-on-year increase in deliveries this year, supported by stable power supply for its 1.5-billion-yuan expansion project and accelerated Phase II construction, with electricity consumption expected to rise over 37%.
Silan Semiconductor exemplifies Chengdu's industrial clusters. In 2020, the electronics and information industry became Chengdu's first trillion-yuan cluster. Today, the city has nurtured two trillion-yuan clusters (electronics/equipment manufacturing) and 11 key 100-billion-yuan industrial chains, transitioning from "single breakthroughs" to "collective advancement."
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), Chengdu's industrial electricity consumption grew 37.9%, from 31.76 billion kWh in 2020 to 43.8 billion kWh in 2025. From January to October this year, value-added industrial output rose 7.3%, with 25 major sectors expanding—including a 21.2% surge in auto manufacturing, 11.7% in electrical machinery, and 11.6% in electronic equipment, making industry the core driver of the 100-billion-kWh milestone.
Industrial parks are pivotal to this growth: - Chengdu High-Tech West Zone, home to Intel and BOE, saw a 27% year-on-year rise in electricity consumption due to expansion and electronics industry agglomeration. - Shuangliu Economic Development Zone's aerospace equipment cluster, with its R&D-manufacturing-maintenance ecosystem, added 120 million kWh this year.
Officials noted that output growth in sectors like NEVs drove a 6.8% increase in industrial electricity use, signaling robust economic momentum.
**Investment: New Growth Engines Emerge** At SVOLT Energy's Chengdu battery plant in Eastern New Area, production lines run at full tilt to support vehicle manufacturing. Deputy General Manager Zhao Yun reported a 175% output increase this year, with cumulative electricity consumption hitting 92 million kWh by November, up 53 million kWh year-on-year.
SVOLT's growth reflects Chengdu's focus on strategic industries like next-gen IT, advanced equipment, and NEVs. Investments in lithium-ion batteries, data centers, and robotics have become new electricity demand drivers.
As part of China's "East Data West Computing" project, the Tianfu Data Center Cluster now boasts 8,000P computing power. Its Jianyang facility, running 24/7 for AI and film rendering, tripled its electricity use this year. Chengdu hosts 410 national "Little Giant" firms, with AI industry output projected to exceed 100 billion yuan in 2025.
From January to October 2025: - NEV production surged 209.1%, lithium-ion batteries 31.2%, and smartwatches 26.8%. - New productive forces (e.g., internet services, PV components) added 2.3 billion kWh (+15% YoY).
New power connections also reflect investment heat. Chengdu's industrial parks added 1,385 projects this year, with 5.535 million kVA capacity, ensuring stable supply.
**Consumption: Green Living Powers Demand** As of June 2025, Chengdu had 1.08 million NEVs (15.1% of total vehicles) and 527,000 charging piles. Charging volume rose 757 million kWh this year, fueling electricity growth.
Green power permeates daily life. In Wuhou District, a resident's late-night e-commerce order is processed at JD.com's automated Chengdu logistics hub, powered entirely by renewables, and delivered via NEV trucks the next day. JD's smart sorting center reported a 40% efficiency gain from upgrades, while live-streamed commerce drove a 7.9% and 8.5% YoY rise in wholesale/retail and transport sector electricity use, respectively.
Chengdu's electricity growth is not just about volume but quality. Over 85% of its power comes from clean sources like hydroelectricity, with plans to further boost this ratio via the Sichuan-Chongqing UHV grid, ensuring sustainable urban development.
From industrial resilience to new productive forces, surging investments to greener consumption, the 100-billion-kWh milestone underscores Chengdu's high-quality growth and its accelerating pace toward the future.
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