Beijing — This year, China’s peak electricity load, or demand, and peak daily gas consumption are both forecast to hit the highest level yet recorded in winter, an official from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Thursday.
Electricity demand usually spikes during the winter and summer because of heating and cooling demand.
This summer, Shanghai’s grid saw record-high demand as temperatures spiked.
The upcoming winter heating season is expected to last more than two months, longer than usual, the NDRC official told a news conference.
That suggests China’s power plants may consume more coal this winter than they did last year, when a relatively mild winter led to weak demand and oversupply.
The country is sufficiently prepared with energy supplies and its power plants have 230 million tons of coal in their stockpiles, enough for 35 days, NDRC said.
Regulators have also improved China’s ability to meet demand during electricity demand spikes by increasing the amount of electricity transmitted across regions, according to NDRC.
Reporting by Colleen Howe in Beijing Editing by Tomasz Janowski – Reuters
