Heatwaves are causing a surge in electricity demand.
China's grid operators are warning factories and homes of new power outages as they struggle to keep a balance between supply and demand.
A strong economic recovery from the pandemic is exacerbating the situation in China, which contributed to a 10% increase in electricity usage last month.
Electricity suppliers in the country are facing comparable challenges to those observed in the United States and other hot spots across the world as temperatures hit dangerously high levels in the early weeks of summer.
Heatwaves and increased electricity demand are putting additional strain on China's coal industry, which is the country's primary source of energy.
The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top market regulator, has guaranteed a substantial increase in coal reserves.
It issued a notice to the six largest state-owned power companies, requiring them to refill enough coal for more than seven days by July 21 in order to avoid unforeseen blackouts.
The policy paper, which has been in circulation since Monday, forecasts that the strong demand would continue until mid-August.
According to commission spokesman Jin Xiandong, China would also encourage increased wind, solar, hydro and nuclear power supply to fulfill summer peak demand.
Xi'an, the capital of China's coal-heavy Shaanxi province, has encouraged electric vehicle owners to charge their vehicles during off-peak hours. The local grid operator claimed in a news conference last week that it briefly disconnected power to numerous regions when temperatures stayed above 35 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, heat waves across the country are bringing flooding, which disrupts coal production and transportation at mines and harbors, further disrupting supplies.
According to the China Coal Transportation and Distribution Association, industrial-power consumption is expected to rise 15% this summer, while demand in the service sector is expected to rise more than 17% year on year.
