Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Wednesday called for effective measures to ensure the security and supply of energy and electricity, as the country faces record demand of electricity amid high temperatures and dry weather.

During a meeting at the State Grid Corporation, Han stressed that China's energy and power supply is "in a critical period” amid summer peak demand and effective measures need to be taken to ensure power supply and security without any mistakes, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Security and supply of energy and power is the basic guarantee for stable economic and social operation, Han said, stressing that power cuts must be firmly avoided and key projects should be accelerated.

Han also said it's necessary to strengthen overall planning and coordination across the country and improve graded power load management to make sure that power supply is secure. He also stressed that China should exert the functions of market mechanisms and improve government regulation to ensure energy price stability. 

Han’s emphasis on ensuring power supply came at a time when some power companies and local governments are reportedly moving to restrict power supply for companies and residents as demand for power surged during summertime. 

According to a report by the National Business Daily, multiple districts and counties in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality have published proposals to encourage reducing industrial and commercial power usage, as well as staggering power consumption. The report noted that some companies in Chongqing have asked employees to work from home as a result.

The Sichuan-based Dazhou Electric Power Group also issued a notice recently saying that the company might restrict power usage for residential users in an orderly manner, if power supply pressure can't be relieved.

Meanwhile, low rainfall in southern China, including Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, is causing problems for local hydropower generators, and market watchers said that the drought may hurt power supplies in eastern China, but the impact will be seasonal and short-term.

Global Times