Over the last month, and especially in the last two weeks, many Chinese provinces have adopted mandatory “ordered power supply” measures.  In layman’s terms, this means power curbs and power rationing for electricity customers.  Certain classes of power customer (particularly large industrial power users) have had their power disconnected entirely for stretches of 4 to 10 days, while others have faced curbs on their power usage during certain times of the day.  This has primarily affected steel, cement, aluminum, and chemical fibers manufacturers.  Some provinces have experienced power shortages so severe that residential consumers have had their power cut.  By Monday afternoon, 27 September, Chinese media were reporting as many as 19 provinces had been affected by some form of power rationing.

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