State Grid warns of temporary power shortages

China may face temporary power shortages in some regions this summer due to the rapid increase in consumption, the country's major power grid operator said on Tuesday.

Power shortages will occur in central, eastern and northern parts of the country during peak summer hours, as uncertainties still exist in demand and supply, the State Grid Corp of China said. The operator is responsible for power supply in 26 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.

According to a forecast by State Grid, the nation's power generation is expected to reach up to 13.3 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per day, up 8.6 percent from a year earlier. Many factors will affect the power supply such as "extreme weather and prices and transportation of coal", the company said in a statement.

The scorching heat this week has increased power use. But it will not put great pressure on supplies as most of the demand surge is from civilian use, which has a small share in total consumption, said sources.