Trotz einer landesweit dieses Jahr möglicherweise ausgeglichenen Strombilanz in China wird die reichste Provinz des Landes, mit ihren industriellen Zentren um Shenzhen und Guangzhou einen Engpass bei der Stromversorgung erleben.

Guangdong (..) has been among the worst-hit provinces in years of shortages. But the worst has yet to come, with electricity shortfall hitting a record high of about 12 million kilowatts this month (March), after the country's worst snowstorms in early February damaged inter-provincial transmission lines, interrupting energy supply.

The Guangdong Provincial Economic and Trade Commission earlier said at a press conference that the province this year faces the worst power shortage in three decades. In March, the electricity shortage was between 11 million and 12 million kilowatts, twice its electricity load gap in last year's peak seasons. And according to the commission, the shortage in summer will well exceed 10 million kilowatts. By comparison, the worst power shortage so far was in 2005 - 6.26 million kilowatts.

Asia Times analysiert die Hintergründe und Auswirkungen ausführlich.