The Government hopes to be able to decide on deferring construction of the second half of China Light & Power's (CLP) Black Point power station within a month.
The news emerged yesterday as CLP and Hongkong Electric (HKE) continued to disagree sharply over the sale of power between them.
Secretary for Economic Services Stephen Ip Shu-kwan told the Legislative Council economic services panel he wanted to make a decision on the $24 billion Black Point power station as soon as possible.
He was giving the Government's first official response to a CLP report outlining options on delaying parts of the plant and the associated costs.
'I hope to be able to tell members the best option at the next [panel] meeting in early March,' Mr Ip said.
Last November, the Government requested a delay in building the plant's final four units as a way of limiting CLP's high level of over-capacity, now at 50 per cent above peak demand.