China might face pressures related to power supply this winter due to cold weather, surging coal prices, and government measures for energy conservation and emission cutting, the head of China's largest power supplier said on November 23.

China's northeastern and northwestern regions, and eight northern provinces, usually the coldest areas in the country, reported record high power consumption during the first half of November, said Liu Zhenya, General Manager of the State Grid Corp. of China.

Figures from the National Power Dispatch and Communication Center showed both power output and consumption increased in the first half of November, up by 8.9 percent and 7 percent respectively over the same period last month.

Measures taken by local governments to conserve energy and cut emissions are sure to have effect on power producers and would affect power output, said Liu.

Cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Chong-qing, and provinces of Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang may face power shortages in the coming peak consumption period, Liu said.