The day the task force arrived, the Hebei DRC website announced that the Hebei energy conservation working group had been established, with Guo Gengmao, the governor of the province, serving at its helm.

Establishing energy conservation-focused organs in regional government is one of the tasks emphasized by the State Council during this round. "Before, new local administrations focused on economic development. Now they are making energy conservation a priority," says one official.

One of the first places visited was Gansu province. "We made a systematic self-examination, with top leaders from the related departments personally leading teams to make assessment... The results have been fed back to the province, and there are no big problems," an official of the energy division of DRC of Gansu said. "The Provincial Party Committee demands that at least 50 percent of the special funds immediately be spent on energy conservation and emissions reduction initiatives, and also on the enforcement of regulation in industries with obsolete production processes—for example, small-scale power plants and cement, ferroalloy, and calcium carbide factories."

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistic show that in May, production in high-energy-consumption industries did not decrease. Pig iron production rose 14.7 percent, unrefined steel 15.7 percent, and aluminum a stunning 47.6 percent. This rapid growth puts tremendous pressure on energy conservation efforts.
 
"Although the yearly energy conservation quotas won't be set, the overall task will be accomplished," says the source. "The government at all levels must report the results of energy-saving and emission-reducing efforts to the National People's Congress. The pressure is still there.”