Hu dons shirtsleeves, but energy demand surges

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2007

BEIJING (AFP) — Beijing is struggling with record demand for electricity, despite an energy-slashing campaign that included President Hu Jintao holding a meeting in his shirtsleeves, state media reported Wednesday.

As temperatures soared to 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) in Beijing on Tuesday, air conditioning use lifted electricity consumption to 11.22 million kilowatts by late afternoon, the highest in history, Xinhua news agency said.

Niu Jincang, spokesman for Beijing Electric Power Co., said the maximum capacity for the city was 13 million kilowatts, and that the company was taking measures to ensure adequate supplies, according to the report.

Tiananmen Square was empty of its normal crowds Tuesday as visitors sheltered in the shade.

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