Electricity consumption in Beijing reached a new high on Friday as residents cranked up their air conditioners in the sweltering heat.

The Beijing power grid reported a peak consumption of 12.48 million kw at 11:24 AM on Friday, according to the Beijing Electric Power Co., which is under the State Grid.

The previous record in the capital was 12.28 million kw on Wednesday.

Currently, the grid was stable and safe in its operation, the company said.

The maximum demand this summer was predicted to reach 14.6 million kw in Beijing. Air-con use was the main cause of the rising consumption.

The city has experienced sauna-like conditions over the past few days, with the highest temperature reaching about 35 degrees Celsius.

A Beijing Electric Power Co. spokesman said the company had established a series of emergency plans for any power supply incident that may occur during next month's Beijing Olympics.

Its power emergency crew had doubled and 201 repair teams were on standby.

The city has also prepared 50 emergency power vehicles with a total capacity of 26,890 kw to supply electricity in case of a blackout, the spokesman said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2008)