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Capital addresses energy shortages
By Wang Zhenghua
Updated: 2004-06-30 08:44
To alleviate summer's unquenchable power thirst, Beijing is considering
rationing electricity to luxury hotels.
The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Tourism told China Daily yesterday it plans
to cut back 20 per cent of star-rated hotels' original power to save energy.
If a hotel exceeds its power quota, electricity will be switched off
automatically.
An official said the bureau is still discussing the matter and no timetable
has yet been announced.
At the moment in China, many regions are confronting a tight power supply.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, the country is facing its most severe
power shortage this summer since the 1980s.
Zhao Xizheng, general manager of the State Power Grid Company told Xinhua
earlier this month that a gap of 30 million kilowatts is being experienced this
summer.
More than 500 luxury establishments are believed to consume a great deal of
limited power.
Hotels targeted
Yu Changjiang, director of the bureau, told Beijing Star Daily that
restaurants are being urged to take measures to save energy, though he believes
the rationing will target hotels.
Temperatures in star-rated establishments are expected to stay above 26 C
from 7 pm to 9 pm, because these two hours are believed to be the peak of
electricity consumption.
An alarm will be sounded when the hotel has nearly run out of its restricted
electricity to notify guests of a sudden blackout.
In addition, these hotels are advised to shut down air-conditioners when they
are not needed.
The bureau also suggested hotels stagger peak hours of power consumption.
Government departments and other institutions are also called on to
participate in the energy-saving campaign.
Starting next month, air-conditioners in government establishments are only
allowed to operate for eight hours a day.
Feng Beibei, an official with the Ministry of Public Security, told China
Daily that hand-driers in the bathrooms of his office building are now turned
off.
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