Like the West, Asia struggling to cut fuel usage

BANGKOK -- G Steel, one of Thailand's leading steel firms, recycles all its waste water and has cut its electricity use by 38 percent over the past five years.

In China, the government has threatened contractors with hefty fines if they violate building codes designed to save energy.

South Korea has launched a campaign to persuade consumers to toss out their old, less efficient appliances, while Japan's Environment Ministry last week turned off its heating to save fuel.

Across Asia, soaring oil prices and unrelenting demand for energy are forcing companies and countries to become more energy efficient.

Governments are rolling out tougher standards for cars, appliances, and new construction while offering tax incentives for energy-conscious employers.

Others are investing in more efficient plants. The Anhui Tiandu Paper Co. in China, for example, built a plant that produces heat and power together and is 30 percent more efficient than traditional power systems.

While solar power, wind power, and other kinds of renewable energy offer hope for the future, they won't be viable on a large scale for decades to come.

So governments are looking to squeeze more out of their economies -- clamping down on everything from leaky office buildings to wasteful coal-fired power plants, which provide two-thirds of Asia's electricity.

Such conservation measures could help Asian countries cut their energy use by as much as a quarter in the next 15 years and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, experts say.