Anticipating a shortfall of electricity this summer, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform turned off air-conditioners in its office building between 6 pm and 7 am starting this month.

Though the move may be seen by some as simply a symbolic gesture,the commission is deadset on reminding people in the capital of worsening power shortages hitting the area as hotter weather approaches.

In previous summers,air-conditioning has remained on in the commission office building around the clock.

But an official told the Beijing Morning Post that the seriousness of the situation demands a change.

Demand peak for electricity this summer is predicted to be 15 percent greater than last year.

That means that electricity use will be more this year than ever before,the commission predicts.

Officials have proposed that at least 23 star-graded hotels in Beijing, which may serve the 2008 Olympic Games, set standard room temperature at 23 degrees centigrade instead of 22. Such an adjustment is believed to ensure comfort for guests while allowing for reasonable energy usage.

This proposed action is in response to an appeal from the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad to be a "green" event.

It is predicted that when temperature of all air conditioner thermostats are increased by 1 degree centigrade,as much as 320 million kilowatt-hours will be saved throughout the city.

The temperature of air conditioners in most public places in Beijing are set at 22 centigrade.. People are beginning to indicate that temperatures between 24 and 28 degrees centigrade might be just as comfortable.

Air conditioners suck up 40 per cent of the total electricity consumption in the city in summer.

In order to lower electricity consumption by local residents, the price of electricity used by industry, commerce and hotels is expected to be increased beginning this month through August.

The plan has been submitted to the State Development and Planning Commission for approval, sources with the Beijing municipal government said.

The exact level of the increase has not yet been announced.

Two-thirds of electricity supply for Beijing is transmitted from other regions, including the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong provinces.

Now the regions themselves will have to deal with power shortages they face themselves. That will result in difficulty in supporting the capital city's needs.

The Beijing Electricity Supply Company has invested 1.3 billion yuan (US$152 million) to upgrade 11 electricity transmission lines to meet the demands this summer.

Statistics show that energy consumption in public institutions in China counts for 5 percent of the total. The usage could be cut by up to 20 per cent if energy-saving measures are taken.
 
(People's Daily  June 8, 2004)