The shortage of electricity in some regions of the country has reached such an extent that even industrial production and people's livelihoods are already impacted by it. For instance, 14 cities in Liaoning province, a national heavy industry base in Northeast China, have started rationing the supply of electricity. Although the power suppliers were required to spare no effort to ensure the power supply to residential communities, hospitals, schools, telecommunications and public transport, some neighborhoods have had their electricity and water cut off, and even traffic signals and elevators have stopped working. This afternoon, State Grid Corp of China, a state-owned enterprise, addressed the issue of electricity limits and said it will try its utmost to safeguard the bottom line of people's livelihoods, development and safety. The power shortage originates from multiple causes. Some cities have taken the initiative to ration the power supply to fulfill the requirement to reduce carbon emissions, while the electricity generation capacity has also been reduced by the dramatic increase in coal price in recent months. Due to the price hikes of coal and gas, and the comparatively low electricity price in the country, which is settled by the government, the power plants' profit margins have become smaller and smaller. The elimination of backward coal production capacity and the decrease in coal imports have both driven up the price of coal. Some plants have suspended production to check the fast rise in costs, as the more electricity they generate, the more economic losses they will have to sustain. ▲ An employee welds a steel frame at a plant in Dalian, Liaoning province, in February. Photo by Wang Yang/For China Daily The budget for carbon emissions is made for the whole year, which means local governments can scatter their quota across 12 months to make sure their emissions don't exceed the limit. However, some local officials tend to go easy in the first few months and then try to suddenly tighten the screws in the last few months. Although limiting coal consumption is in line with the requirements of green development, it should not be implemented in such a one-size-fits-all manner as the power shortage has already affected the economy and people's lives. The local officials who make such strategies lack a proper understanding of green development. It is time they started making long-term plans and not myopic short-term ones. 评论员：张周项编辑：焦洁来源：21世纪经济报道 Click here for audio and translation of the story