China’s Guangdong Orders Factories Cut Power Use as Hot Weather Strains Grid

China’s Guangdong Orders Factories Cut Power Use as Hot Weather Strains Grid
Workers of grid operator China Southern Power Grid inspect power cables connecting transmission towers in Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, on May 29, 2018.Stringer/Reuters
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BEIJING—Several cities in China’s southern province Guangdong, a major manufacturing hub, have asked the industry to curb power use by suspending operations for hours or even days as high factory use combined with hot weather strain the region’s power system.

The power restrictions are a double-whammy for manufacturers who have already been forced to lower production due to a recent surge in raw material prices including steel, aluminum, glass, and paper.