BEIJING, May 13 (Xinhua) -- 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 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.