Macao's total electricity power consumption reached 896.5 GWh in the second quarter of this year, a year-on-year increase of 11.1 percent, according to the figures Friday released by the city's office for the Development of the Energy Sector (GDSE).

The figures showed that the peak power load in the period stoodat 591.5 GWh, growing by 5.6 percent compared with the same periodlast year.

Meanwhile, the generation of electricity in Macao, which accounted for 39.7 percent of the total power consumption, dropped13.3 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2008, the GDSE said.

It also said that the dwindling volume of locally-generated electricity and the use of natural gas for electricity generation has led to a significant CO2 emission decrease of 27 percent in the period.

According to the DSEC, Macao imported over 26 million cubic meters of natural gas in the second quarter of this year.

(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2008)