Taipei, May 17 (CNA) State-run Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) initiated a power outage starting at 8:50 p.m. Monday in certain designated areas across Taiwan due to a shortage of supply caused by a sudden surge in electricity consumption, the company said in an emergency notification.

The emergency measure is being carried out in areas categorized as C and D zones for power rationing, and could be the first round of rolling power outages depending on how fast power generation at four coal-fired generators at Hsinta Power Plant in Kaohsiung that tripped last week return to normal, Taipower said.