Power crunch in Sichuan province adds to manufacturers' woes in China

High temperatures, record electricity demand cause gaps in power supply

The Chinese province of Sichuan activated its highest emergency response on Sunday to deal with “extremely outstanding” power supply deficiencies, adding to manufacturers’ woes in the region as they shut down factories.

Extreme high temperatures and low precipitation since July, along with record electricity demand, have caused gaps in power supply, the southwestern province said in a statement on Sunday. The local government vowed to minimise the impact of the power shortage on economic growth, industrial production and households.

This is the first time Sichuan initiated a top-level emergency response after it introduced an energy supply contingency plan in January. Measures in