As the Yangtze River Delta is experiencing a rapid increase in the demand for electricity, leading to widespread power shortages, a 26 C energy-saving campaign has been instituted to help alleviate the growing problem.

On Saturday, nongovernmental environmental organizations made calls to hotels, shopping malls and office buildings, asking them not to set their air conditioners to below 26 C.

"This initiative strives to alleviate the strain on energy in China," said Li Jie, deputy secretary-general of the China Association for NGO Cooperation, during a meeting in Shanghai.

The campaign, supported by the US Environmental Defense and the Honeywell Company, will be focusing on the Yangtze River Delta, with volunteers sent to hotels, shopping complexes and office buildings to test temperatures.

"The campaign aims to improve the public awareness of environmental protection and to help governments set relevant policies for creating a resource-efficient society," said Li.

Shanghai is expected to consume about 19 million kilowatts per hour at peak load this year. This is an increase of 12 percent on the same period last year.

Jiangsu Province will consume about 36 million kilowatts per hour at peak load, 5.3 million kilowatts an hour more than that of 2004, while Zhejiang produces only 12 million kilowatts per hour of electricity, far less than the peak demand of about 20 million kilowatts per hour.

"Air conditioners consumed 30 percent of all electricity used in east China during the summer of 2004, leading to an increased strain on supplies," said Song Hongkun, deputy director of the State Grid Corporation's Power Demand Management Instruction Centre.

A rough calculation shows Shanghai can save energy valued at 1 billion yuan (US$123 million) by launching the campaign, if hotels, shopping malls, public buildings and households set their air-conditioners to 26 C, said Che Fei, director of Communications and Community Affairs at Honeywell China.

"China needs such a stimulus to alleviate the power pressure, because energy demand is expected to double by 2020," said Daniel Dudek, chief economist of Environmental Defense.

"Energy supply problems are managed by a whole portfolio of strategies, not just by building new power plants."

Dudek said the way in which this increase in the demand for electricity is met is a significant factor in determining future environmental burdens and expenditures.

If power demand growth is reduced by 10 percent, this would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent.

(China Daily August 1, 2005)