China short of 30m kw power supply this summer (Xinhua) Updated: 2004-06-16 22:00
China may be facing the most severe situation of power shortage since the
1980s, with a gap of 30 million kilowatts between electricity demand and supply
this summer, said General Manager Zhao Xizheng of the State Power Grid Company
Wednesday.
Zhao made the remark at a meeting on summer's power supply. "Measures will be
taken to enhance safe production and management over the demand side," he said.
Accelerating development of power-intensive machinery, auto, steel and
manufacturing sectors, the growing pace of urbanization and low energy
efficiency are blamed for China's extensive shortage of energy.
A total of 24 provincial areas imposed power brownouts in the past few
months. China is now in the middle stage of industrialization phase
characterized by faster development of energy-extensive machinery, auto, iron
and steel sectors, said Xu Dingming, a leading official with the Energy Bureau
of the State Development and Reform Commission.
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