A wave of freezing weather is sweeping across Asia and will likely boost energy demand on the continent as the thermometer plunges deep below zero. Per Bloomberg, northern China saw temperatures of a record -53 degrees Celsius, equal to -64 F, and Seoul saw temperatures drop to -16 Celsius this week. The cold snap is forecast to remain in place until the end of the month. In Mohe, northern China, where the record low temperature was measured, coal consumption has already increased by some 33 percent as utilities ramp up boiler activity to cope with the surge in demand for heating, Bloomberg noted. Yet the overall ... (full story)