Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged the state-owned electric utility corporation State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) to take multiple measures to ensure power supply during Spring Festival peak season.

Li made the remarks when he inspected SGCC on Tuesday, five days before the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. 

Energy supply is related to the overall situation of China's economic and social development, Li said. 

The past year has been extraordinary for China's economy, which faced international energy problems, drastic price fluctuation, and a period of domestic power supply shortage caused by high temperature and less rainfall, he said.

However, he noted, all parties concerned have worked together to ensure domestic power demand, support the economic growth at a reasonable rate, meet the needs of people's livelihood and especially, stabilize the prices of goods.

He said power consumption is still at peak after the Spring Festival, and the need will also grow as China's economy develops due to the implementation of optimized COVID-19 response measures.

He stressed that energy supply should be increased accordingly and trans-regional power dispatch and cooperative scheduling of various power utilities should be improved in order to enhance supply during peak season and ensure the power demand for economic and social development.

Meanwhile, he said that people in northern parts of China should be allowed to use coal or electricity as heating energy to get through the winter based on their practical situation.

Noting China is still in the process of industrialization and urbanization and "energy is the basics of the basics," Li urged SGCC to deepen the market-oriented reform, strengthen science and technology innovation, and constantly improve the ability to guarantee energy supply and intensify international energy cooperation.

He called for all departments and regional affiliates of SGCC to implement the policy package for stabilizing economy and its follow-up measures to boost market expectations and confidence, and strive to achieve a good start to China's economic performance in 2023.