How much power do the biggest cities use?

How much power do the biggest cities use?

When it comes to figuring out power usage, it's not only the large size of a city that can bump up consumption.


Asked by: Joanna Taylor, Salisbury

London, with a population of around 8 million, uses electrical power at an average rate equivalent to the output of around five nuclear power stations. But size isn’t everything.

Dubai, where temperatures regularly reach over 40°C, is home to some of the most power-hungry people in the world. They consume it at a rate equivalent to the output of four nuclear power stations – while having barely one-quarter the population of London.

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