Beijing is struggling with record demand for electricity, despite an energy-slashing campaign that included President Hu Jintao holding a meeting in his shirtsleeves, state media reported Wednesday. As temperatures soared to 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) in Beijing on Tuesday, air conditioning use lifted electricity consumption to 11.22 million kilowatts by late afternoon, the highest in history, Xinhua news agency said.
Niu Jincang, spokesman for Beijing Electric Power Co., said the maximum capacity for the city was 13 million kilowatts, and that the company was taking measures to ensure adequate supplies, according to the report.
Tiananmen Square was empty of its normal crowds Tuesday as visitors sheltered in the shade.
The surge comes despite a series of recent moves to try and slash use.
China's leaders have recently called on office workers to dress in light, casual clothing instead of heavy suits, so that air conditioners do not have to be used so heavily.
The example was set by Hu on Monday, when he and a group of high-profile figures were pictured at a conference wearing open-necked shirts rather than their normal jackets and ties.
China's cabinet this month ordered that air-conditioning units in most public buildings be set no cooler than 26 degrees Celsius, Xinhua said.
Other parts of the country, including Shanghai, have already suffered from energy shortages this summer and officials have expressed concerns that supply may not be able to keep up with demand during the hot months.
The Chinese government set a goal of reducing energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by 20 percent by 2010, but failed miserably in 2006, the first year of implementation.
Source: Agence France-Presse
