The head of the economic planning agency reiterated on Tuesday that China will do its utmost to ensure electricity supplies to the quake zone, even during the summer peak season.

Power grids in quake-ravaged Sichuan Province ran smoothly on Monday, with a peak load of 11.72 million kilowatts, which was 12.2 percent more than the daily maximum load of last year, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a daily update on Tuesday.

Telecommunications resumed in 105 towns in the eight worst-hit counties, NDRC said.

Other provinces should increase power transmission to support Sichuan, while the hydro-power-rich province should cut electricity supply to other provinces to meet its own demand, NDRC director Zhang Ping said on Tuesday at a tele-conference.

To ensure power supplies this summer will be an arduous task. Local departments should prioritize the adequate supply of thermal coal and curb power use by energy-intensive industries to ensure power supplies for the quake reconstruction effort and the Olympics, Zhang said.

Thermal coal reserves are below the crucial seven-day level in Hebei, Anhui, Hunan and Hainan provinces. More than 62 power plants across the country, with an output capacity of 61.86 million kw, have less than three days of coal reserves.

The State Administration of Coal Mine Safety on Sunday issued an urgent circular ordering domestic coal companies to increase output while also maintaining safe operations.

The power grid has been severely tested this year, hit first by severe winter storms and then by the May 12 quake. The grids in 21 counties in Sichuan, center of the 8.0-magnitude quake, were severely damaged.

The State Grid had earlier vowed to finish rush repairs to quake damage in Sichuan by Tuesday.

(Xinhua News Agency June 11, 2008)