Power supply to meet demand as winter sets in

China will shore up efforts to secure its power supply to meet rising demand as the cold winter sets in, including stepping up monitoring power supply and demand dynamics, the country's top energy regulator said on Friday.

"National natural gas consumption and power generation have reached a record high due to the recent cold spell, and power plants' coal consumption also remained high," said Tong Guangyi, director of the electric power safety supervision department of the National Energy Administration. "However, with a joint effort by different parties, China's energy supply and demand is generally stable with adequate power supply capability."

According to Tong, the demand for energy, especially electric power, rose sharply this winter due to rising economic activity and strong cold waves that swept across the country.

As waves of cold air affect the country this month, temperatures fell lower than in normal years, resulting in a significant rise in the use of electric heating, which has rapidly driven up power demand in some parts of the country.

In light of these circumstances, the National Development and Reform Commission and the NEA have worked with relevant parties to ensure the supply of electricity, coal and natural gas, including de-bottlenecking coal transportation and increasing power supplies.

To better meet people's rising needs for energy consumption amid the cold spell, more efforts will be made to closely monitor changes in energy supply and demand and take measures accordingly to ensure coordination in the energy supply, Tong said.