Effort to promote energy saving
By Fu Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-06-04 09:26

The dos and don'ts guidelines from the Chinese Government run long and are designed to involve families,organizations and factories nationwide in an annual energy-saving campaign.

The State Council has decided to launch the week-long campaign on Sunday, hoping to avoid the widespread electricity shortages this summer that plagued the country last year.

The event is part of a three-year national campaign to save and promote the effective use of major resources so sustainable economic and social development can be maintained.

Earlier this month, the State Council called on all localities to join the effort to make effective use of resources such as electricity,raw materials, water and land.

"Electricity shortages have become a major factor holding back economic and social development," Zhao Jiarong, department chief of National Development and Reform Commission told Thursday's news conference.

At present, more than 70 per cent of China's provinces and autonomous regions have been suffering from electricity shortages, and officials fear such problems will be worse than last year when more than half of the nation was similarly affected.

Zhao's commission predicted earlier this year that China's power consumption would grow by 11 per cent year-on-year to 2.1 trillion kilowatt hours this year. The generating capacity, however, is expected to increase by only 9.6 per cent year-on-year, or 37,200 megawatts.

The commission said electricity prices in peak periods should be jolted upward to decrease power consumption and encourage use during non-peak times. Residents will not pay more for power this year.

"To improve generating capacity is one thing, and the whole of society should not ignore energy-saving practices," said Zhao.

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