Booming China economizes as summer heat drives up energy demand

"Energy-efficiency" has become a catchphrase in booming China as searing temperatures across the nation drive up demand for power and water over the past month.

The world's most populous nation is likely to face its worst energy crunch in two decades as 25 provincial-level power grids have started power cut-backs and more than 400 cities are suffering from water shortfalls.

Early in July, as the maximum daytime temperature hit 39 degrees Celsius in the business center of Shanghai, daily power consumption reached 16.4 million kilowatts -- close to the city's total capacity of about 17 million kilowatts.

The State Power Gride Corporation has predicted an electricity shortfall of 25 million kilowatt-hours this summer.

Faced by the grave power crisis, energy-conservation has topped the government agenda.

Last month, China set up a national energy leading group headed by Premier Wen Jiabao. One of the group's main responsibilities is to promote energy development and conservation.

Top officials have repeatedly called on the whole society to economize on resources and build an energy-efficient national economic system. Wen convened two meetings of the State Council, or the central government, within ten days to discuss resource efficiency.

The looming energy crunch has warned the Chinese public to economize even though many of them have come to live a comparatively affluent life after two decades of rapid economic growth.

"We've got to economize." "Life cannot go on without water or electricity." Such comments are often heard from citizens in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, after the early summer heatwave forced blackouts and water rationing over the past weeks.

But to economize does not necessarily compromise the quality of their life -- in most cases it only requires setting the temperatures in air-conditioned rooms higher by one degree Celsius or replacing traditional light bulbs with energy-efficient ones.

Industry insiders say if all residents use energy-saving light bulbs at home, power consumption will be reduced by 10 percent -- which means fewer power plants will need to be built and which will ultimately save 6 billion yuan (723 million US dollars) at least.

"The neighborhood committee has delivered leaflets in our community to remind the residents to save power, water and gas," said He Qiwei, a resident in downtown Beijing who works for Lenovo Group, a Chinese IT giant.

Energy-saving is not a new concept to He, because she and her colleagues at Lenovo have been told to economize for more than a decade. "The management requests temperature in all air-conditioned offices should be kept at 28 degrees Celsius or higher in summer. Office supplies are strictly rationed and we're told to recycle paper."

In contrast, government offices -- whose bills are paid by the central coffer -- have a long way to go in saving energy resources, she said.

In most government offices in Beijing, the light is on even in broad daylight, and no one cares to switch off air-conditioners, computers and printers at the end of the day.

A latest survey shows that per capita power consumption at Beijing's government offices is seven times as much as that of the average residents.

With many cities facing severe power shortages, the Chinese government is resolved to change the situation this summer.

Premier Wen Jiabao has requested government offices to keep air conditioners at 26 degrees Celsius or higher. The Beijing city government has given its staff the go ahead to dress casually during internal meetings so that air conditioner usage can be kept to a minimum.

"Supervisory officials will pay unexpected visits to see if we're following the new rules -- and we all know what to do," said Shi Qiang, a civil servant in Beijing. "Whenever someone's left alone in the office, he'd voluntarily turn off the lights and air-conditioner and join his colleagues next door."

Besides, many cities have limited power use by big consumers and told factories to shut down or introduce night shifts to cut electricity demand.

Experts say low per-capita resources and poor energy-efficiency are the main causes behind China's energy bottleneck, which they believe will deteriorate if China does not consider the soaring energy costs in its economic development.

The energy supply bottleneck has obliged a growing number of officials to double check costs behind the booming economy, shift from GDP worship to a more scientific and down-to-earth mode of development and economize energy resources in order to achieve the country's goal to "quadruple China's GDP while only doubling energy consumption by 2020."

Source: Xinhua