电力及公用事业2024年8月行业数据：风光新增装机达174GW，单月城乡居民生活用电增速23.7%

Investment Rating - The investment rating for the industry is "Outperform the Market" [3]. Core Insights - The report highlights that the total electricity generation from January to August 2024 reached 62,378.8 billion kWh, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.1%. Notably, solar power generation saw a significant growth of 26.6% [10][17]. - The total installed capacity as of August 2024 was 312,764 MW, with a year-on-year growth of 14.0%. Solar energy capacity increased by 48.8%, while wind energy capacity grew by 19.9% [31][32]. - The average utilization hours for power generation equipment decreased by 103 hours year-on-year to 2,328 hours, with hydro power showing an increase of 376 hours [34][36]. - Investment in power generation infrastructure reached 497.6 billion yuan, up 5.1% year-on-year, while grid investment surged by 23.1% to 333 billion yuan [44]. Summary by Sections 1. Electricity Generation - From January to August 2024, total electricity generation was 62,378.8 billion kWh, up 5.1% year-on-year. Hydro power generation increased by 21.7%, while solar power generation rose by 26.6% [10][17]. 2. Electricity Consumption - Total electricity consumption for the same period was 65,619 billion kWh, reflecting a 7.9% year-on-year increase. In August 2024 alone, consumption reached 9,649 billion kWh, up 8.9% [26][28]. 3. Installed Capacity - Cumulative installed capacity reached 312,764 MW, with a 14.0% year-on-year increase. New installed capacity from January to August was 20,995 MW, marking a 13.6% increase [31][32]. 4. Utilization Hours - The average utilization hours for power generation equipment were 2,328 hours, down 103 hours year-on-year. Hydro power utilization hours increased to 2,360 hours [34][36]. 5. Investment in Power and Grid - Power generation investment totaled 497.6 billion yuan, a 5.1% increase year-on-year, while grid investment reached 333 billion yuan, up 23.1% [44].