City officials in Guangzhou, southern China's Guangdong Province, have prepared to impose a city-wide energy-saving plan to help cut energy consumption, the Guangzhou Daily reported on Wednesday.

The first of its kind in China, the energy-saving plan will demand government buildings to limit their use of elevators to floors above the third storey and ask releant authorities to reduce the use of public street lighting.

The plan specifies that the turning-on of streetlights should be lowered to reasonable levels to ensure they do not compromise the safety of vehicles and pedestrians. It also calls on businesses to turn off their neon lights and signs to save electricity except during holidays and festivals.

The plan also notes that its first phase will focus on the theme "an experience of energy shortage", which urges people not to drive or use air-conditioning or electric lights for one day to help them realize the importance of saving energy.

City officials are still hammering out the plan's final details, the report said.

(CRI August 27, 2009)