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Explained: Why China is facing a power crunch and what it means

A power crunch across China has rippled from factory floors to homes, crimping growth forecasts for the world's second-largest economy

Power supply, China
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Coal-based producers account for over 70 per cent of the country’s electricity generation, but Xi Jinping’s push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and go “carbon neutral” by 2060 has capped the growth of coal mining. (Photo: Bloomberg)

Alfred Cang | Bloomberg
A power crunch across China has rippled from factory floors to homes, crimping growth forecasts for the world’s second-largest economy. The shortages, mirrored in Europe and elsewhere, have roiled commodity markets as well. Part of the problem is that the economic rebound after lockdowns lifted has boosted demand, while lower investment by miners and drillers has constrained fossil fuel production. In China, it’s also due to the green agenda.
 
Why can’t China meet demand?
 
Mainly because it’s short of coal. Coal-based producers account for over 70 per cent of the country’s electricity generation, but Xi Jinping’s push to