Monday, January 11, 2010

Another problem for China

Deep cold in January in the northern Hemisphere: China is doing power rationing, and the Brits are having to conserve natural gas:

China: coal supplies run low at power plants

"As of Sunday, coal reserves in 598 major power plants were decreasing and were only enough to last for nine days. Coal storage in 205 power plants will last for seven days, an alarming level, the National Power Dispatch and Communication Center said yesterday.

The situation worsened in 11 percent of the power plants which will shut production any time coal reserves cannot support three days of power generation.

On Sunday, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei and Chongqing continued electricity rationing because of power shortages."


(And the above is from China Daily, no less!!)

Britain: 'energy crisis' not yet over

Britain's demand for oil and gas is at an all-time high because of a continuing cold spell that has left most of the country in subfreezing temperatures for weeks.

The grid operator last week asked some 100 companies to switch to alternative heating fuels and cut off supply to dozens of large companies to protect resources for private households.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn vowed that domestic customers had nothing to worry about.


Energy -- it makes modern civilization possible. Imagine how uncivilized things might get if we ran out of it for a few days during a cold winter...

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