A heatwave of 40 degrees that swept across China has led to record-high power consumption.
According to official media such as Xinhua News Agency on the 7th, the China Central Meteorological Administration extended a high-temperature yellow alert at 6 a.m. local time and implemented emergency measures to stabilize the power grid.
The Central Meteorological Administration stated that eastern, southern, and northwestern China is expected to experience extreme heat with maximum daytime temperatures reaching 37 to 39 degrees.
In particular, the Turpan Basin in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and southwestern Shandong Province are forecasted to exceed 40 degrees in localized areas.
As the heatwave continues across China, the power consumption due to air conditioning is on the rise.
The National Energy Administration of China announced that power demand has reached its peak due to the nationwide heat.
Official China Central Television (CCTV) reported that on the 4th, the national power load reached 1.465 billion kilowatts, a record high. This is an increase of 200 million kilowatts compared to the end of June and 150 million kilowatts compared to the same period last year.
In the densely populated eastern region of China, the power load reached 422 million kilowatts, with air conditioning demand accounting for 37% of this.
Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, and Central Hubei provinces have broken their power load records nine times this summer alone.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the power load in Shandong Province soared to 114.83 million kilowatts on the 3rd, setting a new record. Some residents in areas like Qingdao, Shandong Province, reported recent power outages through social media.
Chinese authorities stated that 'the power supply is stable nationwide.' However, they forecast that if the high temperatures persist until the 10th of this month, power demand in the eastern and central regions will significantly increase, leading to a heavy burden on supply.
The National Energy Administration stated through a social media announcement on the 4th that it would 'quickly resolve the issue through maximum generation capacity and inter-regional cooperation.'