China’s major power plants generated 528.34 billion kilowatt-hours of power in March, up 2.1 percent year-on-year, data showed.

Thermal power production reached 401.74 billion kilowatt-hours with a year-on-year increase of 1.4-percent in March, while hydropower and nuclear power plants created 66.47 billion kilowatt-hours and 21.76 billion kilowatt-hours, respectively, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Electricity generated by wind and solar farms in March saw strong year-on-year growth of 30.6 percent and 27.9 percent, generating 30.57 billion kilowatt-hours and 7.8 billion kilowatt-hours, respectively, as China has been promoting renewable energy such as wind and solar power in recent years to cope with pollution and boost growth quality.

Power generation rose by 10 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2018, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

China’s total electricity consumption was 532.5 billion kilowatt-hours in March, up 3.6 percent from a year earlier.