BEIJING - The China Electricity Council (CEC) said Friday that China will face tightened supplies of electric power this year, with a shortage estimated to reach up to 40 million kilowatts.

Both regional and seasonal power shortages will occur in 2012, the council warned.

The CEC predicated the country's electric power consumption this year to reach 514 million kilowatt-hours, up 9.5 percent year-on-year. The growth rate represents an 11.7-percent decrease from 2011, as China is expected to experience slower economic growth this year, according to the council.

The council said China will need to improve its coal-producing capacity and increase imports to support rising demand for power-generating coal. An estimated 85 million kilowatts of power-generating capacity will be added this year, the council said.