Residents will not be affected by power cuts

CHINA’S planning agency yesterday said electricity supplies will be high enough to heat homes in the country’s north during the winter, amid a nationwide energy crunch that has seen power cuts in some areas.

Zhao Chenxin, who heads the National Development and Reform Commission, also said China would honor its carbon reduction targets even as it ramps up coal production to meet increased electricity demands.

“All in all, we have the conditions, the resources and the capability to ensure the supply of heating for the winter,” said Zhao.

While households will pay a standard price for heating and electricity, factories will pay within a range that is 20 percent higher or lower of that set price as part of an “optimized pricing system,” Zhao said.

That is adjusted from the current ceiling of 10 percent and floor of 15 percent and aims to encourage industrial upgrades through the investment in more efficient technologies, Zhao added.

Zhao said coal production was being increased along with natural gas, and energy reserves would be deployed to meet demand.

Daily coal output has reached the highest since February at more than 11.2 million tons, while average coal stocks at its power plants can support about 15 days of use, according to an official from the National Energy Administration at the same news briefing.

China’s electricity consumption went up 6.8 percent year on year in September, as the country’s economy further recovers, official data showed yesterday.

Total power use came in at 694.7 billion kWh last month, the NEA said. In September, power consumption by the primary and secondary industries rose by 14.9 percent and 6 percent from a year ago, respectively, while that used by the tertiary industry jumped by 12.1 percent year on year.

Residential power consumption saw a yearly increase of 3.7 percent last month.

Zhao said there was no conflict between the uptick in coal production and China’s carbon control targets.

“China has always honored our commitments for the goals we have set and we will do whatever we can to achieve them,” Zhao said.