Due to disastrous snowstorms and choked coal shipments, Guangdong Province has encountered severe serious electrical power shortages. The local government has put the provincial capital, Guangzhou, on red alert for 11 days thus far and the alert is likely to continue, according to the local newspaper The New Express.

Guangzhou's Economic and Trade Commission and the Power Supply Bureau also jointly issued a power saving bulletin today, asking all shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, entertainment resorts, government buildings and any others in tertiary industries not to use air conditioners for heating during peak hours – and even during off-peak hours, they were asked to use as little as possible. Except for significant festivals and diplomatic affairs, government and business areas should shut off nighttime lighting and all resorts should shut off neon lights.

Many factories and enterprises have suspended their production. Guangzhou's Power Supply Bureau is monitoring all commercial power usage. Companies who do not adhere to these instructions will be blacked out.

The bureau said that currently the province is short of 10 million kwh of electric power supply. In light of this figure Guangzhou is likely to suffer from a shortage of over 1.5 million kwh.

The bureau has dispatched 20 teams to Guangzhou's train stations, airports and provincial coach bus stations to ensure that the power supply is safe and sound for those key clients primarily responsible for the Spring Festival transportation.

(China.org.cn by Zhang Rui January 30, 2008)