BEIJING: The unexpected and unprecedented power cut in three provinces in Northeast China – Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning – on Monday following reported electricity shortages have resulted in major disruptions to the daily lives of people and business operations, sparking growing concerns over the potential disruption of power supplies as demand booms ahead of the upcoming winter season.
Power rationing in some parts of Northeast China, particularly in some residential communities without advance warning, has sparked public anger and growing debate over China’s power supply. Some have questioned if the recent power cuts are an indication of a potentially large domestic gap in power supplies that could lead to an “energy crisis.”
While the power restrictions revealed many problems, including increasingly short supplies amid surging demand and prices as well as lack of coordination and execution by local officials, industry insiders sought to give assurances that the events were caused by multiple factors, including high coal prices, historically high demand and power cutting measures, but “China’s energy supply capacity is so far adequate for meeting demand and that China has no energy crisis.” In response to the power cut, the State Grid Corp, a major operator of electricity networks in China, on Monday pledged to ensure basic electricity demand for people’s daily consumption are met and power cuts are avoided to the best of their abilities.
– The Daily Mail-Global Times News exchange item
