China 's electricity production, an important economic indicator, was unchanged in June from the same month a year earlier as domestic economic growth slowed and industrial output growth stalled.

The flat growth in electricity output--the slowest since May 2009--surprised analysts who had expected a rise ahead of peak summer demand.

But the slowing economy has reduced demand for electricity from energy-intensive sectors such as manufacturing, petrochemical production and cement mixing, said Liu Dongna, a coal analyst with Shandong-based consultancy Chem99.

"Flat growth in electricity output is very rare," she said.

China 's June power output totaled 393.4 billion kilowatt hours, virtually identical to a year earlier, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Friday. In May 2009, production fell 2.7% on year during a severe global economic downturn.

In the first half of 2012, power output totaled 2.29 trillion kWh, an increase of 3.7%, data showed.

China 's electricity production grew 11% in 2011.

China's benchmark coal price has fallen to a record low as stockpiles have surged, reflecting what analysts say is a decline in thermal power production. As of Wednesday, the Bohai-Rim Steam-Coal Price Index was 652 yuan ($102) a metric ton, down 3.55% from a week earlier, and its lowest level since the index's launch in October 2010.

The decline in thermal power production, which typically comprises as much as 70% of China 's power output, is likely being offset by rising hydropower output, Ms. Liu said. China 's hydropower output, for example, rose 31.1% in May from the same month a year earlier, compared to April's year-on-year growth of 4.5%, due to higher rainfall in southern China .

A statistics bureau official Friday defended the accuracy of the bureau's electricity output data.

"I've seen reports, especially from some foreign news media...questioning the accuracy of China 's electricity data," spokesman Sheng Laiyun said at a news briefing. "But I want to tell everybody that those reports are wrong."

Mr. Sheng said the bureau uses two sets of data--one from the electricity power grid and one from enterprises--and that the two sets match. He said the overall trend of industrial growth and growth in power consumption also match.

China 's gross domestic product grew by 7.6% in the second quarter from a year earlier, its slowest pace since the first quarter of 2009, data showed Friday. Industrial production growth also slowed in June, rising just 9.5% from a year earlier, down slightly May's 9.6% growth rate.

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