  In this paper, the annual growth rate of electricity consumption in China in
the first 15 years of the 21st century is modeled using multiple linear
regression. Historical data and trends of gross domestic product, fixed assets
investment and share of the secondary sector in China's GDP are used to account
for the observed trend and fluctuation of electricity consumption in recent
years. A comparison between the proposed method and the predictions given by
China Electricity Council is performed, showing that the proposed method is
good at capturing the trend of the electricity consumption of China under
complex social and economic background. The electricity consumptions for 2016
and 2017 are also predicted, which is helpful for energy planners and
policymakers for future challenges.
