China Braces for More Summer Power Shortages as Demand Rises

China expects a recurrence of power shortages in some provinces during times of peak demand this summer as electricity use rises.

The nation’s maximum power load will likely reach 1,360 gigawatts this summer, creating shortages in some areas, National Energy Administration spokesman Liang Changxin said at a briefing on Wednesday. Last year, the peak load surged by nearly 20% to a record 1,290 gigawatts after a heat wave drove increased air conditioning use while drying up hydropower reservoirs, causing widespread power curtailments to factories in the southwest.