Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong
Province, has urged more than 4,000 local enterprises to each
switch off electricity for two days a week starting Friday to
prevent the power grid from crashing.?
According to the local power management department, the city's
electricity consumption reached a record 5.11 million kilowatts
Thursday, causing a huge power shortage.
The blackouts will be carried out by different enterprises in
different time periods, according to relevant regulations.
Compulsory blackouts will be imposed on those enterprises that do
not switch off electricity as required.
Another 111 enterprises are required to cut electricity
consumption by anywhere from 10 percent to 20 percent daily to
reduce pressure on local power grid.
It is predicted that the city's peak power consumption will
reach a maximum of 6 million kilowatts in the second quarter this
year and 6.8 million kilowatts in the third quarter.
To tackle the growing power shortage, the city will beef up its
efforts to enforce electricity switch-off in local enterprises so
as to guarantee normal operation of government departments,
telecommunications services, air and railway transportation and
daily electricity consumption of local residents, government
sources said.
(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2004)