“Is it the Mao era?”…The ‘coal coupon’ revives in China’s power shortage

▲ Steam spews from the cooling tower of a coal-fired power plant in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, eastern China. Nanjing/AP News

It seems that China is hardly getting out of the power shortage. Even ‘coal coupons’, which are treated as relics from the Mao Zedong era, are starting to appear again.

According to Bloomberg News on the 25th (local time), the city of Suzhou, China, has distributed coal coupons that can purchase heating fuel to 47,000 households.

You can buy 2 tons of coal per coupon, which is enough to last through this winter and early spring of next year.

The supply of coupons is a measure in response to an increase in main energy prices due to a power shortage. As part of its decarbonization policy, the authorities, which had restricted mining in major mines, are focusing on lowering prices, such as allowing mines to expand again when energy prices soar.

The market is now back to balance thanks to the authorities’ efforts, but the cold weather is still causing power shortages for locals, Bloomberg said. Although the National Development and Reform Commission has reassured its citizens that there are sufficient stockpiles, local meteorologists are warning that bitter cold and drought will hit some areas in the coming months. It is said that villages have begun to appear where dry cornstalks and firewood are stockpiled in the yard just in case.

“The coupon issuance caused a lot of buzz on social media,” Bloomberg reported.