Power rate hike

Signaling a worsening energy crunch, the National Development and Reform Commission increased prices by an average 0.27 US cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) China's northern, eastern, southern and central regions were the first to be hit with the rate hike. Now the commission is considering similar rises for the nation's northeastern and northwestern regions. The commission said the rate rise is aimed at curbing rising power usage. Agriculture and fertilizer-making operations were exempted from the increase.