Coal stocks decrease sharply as electricity demand skyrockets

A cold wave sweeping across large swathes of the country since Saturday has forced some provinces to ration electricity for industrial use, but State power company officials promised yesterday that supply to residents across those regions would not be affected.

"Even under extreme circumstances, we will ensure residential electricity supply, which is always the top priority," said Wang Changxing, spokesperson for the Shanghai grid, a major branch of the East China grid.