"This is our strongest source of confidence in coping with summer peak demand," said Shuai Hong, deputy chief engineer of the power dispatch and control center of State Grid Chongqing Electric Power Company.

　　Shuai said electricity purchased from outside the municipality accounts for about one-third of its total grid load this year. Specifically, the Hami-Chongqing line can transmit up to 6 million kilowatts at peak, equivalent to covering roughly one-fifth of the city"s maximum power load.

　　UHV refers to power transmission technology with exceptionally high voltage levels that is well-suited to long-distance transmission due to its minimal energy loss. The Hami-Chongqing line is one of more than 40 UHV lines in China built to bridge a great divide in the country"s energy landscape: China"s energy resources are concentrated largely in the west, while the heaviest demand for electricity is in its central and eastern regions.

　　In past summers, scorching temperatures often forced industrial producers to scale back operations and businesses to curb electricity consumption. Chongqing Wang Cheng Technology Co., Ltd., an automotive and machinery components manufacturer, knows the strain all too well.

　　Before gaining access to electricity generated in Xinjiang, the company"s production was hampered by power shortages in July and August. To cope, it would frontload production to avoid peak-demand periods and split orders into smaller batches.

　　This summer, however, more than 100 of the company"s smart production lines ran at full capacity, while there was no need to sidestep peak demand periods or rush orders ahead of schedule. Instead, the pace of production could be planned and adjusted with greater flexibility, no longer dictated by seasonal availability of electricity.