Coal-burning power stations have cut output significantly, while gas-burning has surged ahead, faster than renewables.
More significantly, they made it clear that they stood ready to cut output quickly again if they had to.
Amplats said Monday that it would post a loss for 2012 because of the walkouts, which cut output by 306, 000 ounces.
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Iran and Venezuela, both members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), have called for it to cut output.
That is to say, fiscal retrenchment worth 1pc of GDP will cut output by half as much, or around 0.5pc over two years.
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Around mid-January, Amplats announced plans to cut output to offset losses, which at the time rallied platinum since this would mean a tighter market.
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Amplats last month announced plans to cut output by 20% and eliminate 14, 000 jobs, but has postponed this for consultations with the government and unions.
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Alcoa also cut output at its 265, 000-ton smelter in Rockdale, Texas.
Conditions in the global economy have changed dramatically since then, however, forcing oil producers' group Opec to cut output levels in an effort to stabilise prices.
Largely because of the power of the unions, America's carmakers find it as hard as their European counterparts do to cut output and capacity to match changed circumstances.
Partly because of the power of the unions, America's car makers find it almost as hard as do their European counterparts to cut output and capacity to match changed circumstances.
Business was just starting to come back before Honda's decision to cut its output so dramatically.
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- OPEC's deliberations to cut oil output in March could depress fragile world economies, commentators said.
In April Saudi Aramco cut its output by 350, 000 bpd to 9.1 million bpd because there wasn't enough demand for the oil.
Meanwhile, more hawkish members of OPEC, such as Venezuela, are calling for a cut in output to stop oil prices falling further.
So joining OPECs March pact to cut global output was no sacrifice.
To run down their stocks, firms will have to cut back output.
"I think it's important for the United States to be less at the mercy of foreign countries and their decision-making and politics, and more under our own control to address these problems, " Abraham said, two days after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed to cut oil output by a million barrels a day.
Douglas says the company has cut its energy output by 20% in the last five years.
The company also reported rising input costs and is looking to cut back on output.
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Many of them have already made plans to cut jobs and output to match demand.
As it winds down operations, it has cut car tire output by 90% to around 2, 000 tires a day from the 21, 000 the plant could produce at full capacity.
Unlike other PV components, polysilicon production cannot be idled incrementally, which forces manufacturers to cut prices rather than output.
As a result, the strengthening yen would cut Japan's output in 2009 by more than 2% and condemn the country to another six years of falling prices, the study reckons.
To work off inventories, builders will have to cut back more, dragging output growth down for longer.
With the smart grid, buildings can become batteries, and industries can dramatically cut costs and achieve the same output.
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As if to justify the gloom, on the day of the rate cut it was revealed that manufacturing output had fallen by 0.4% in September.
Some non-governmental organisations want a moratorium on ethanol output, saying this would cut grain prices by 20%.
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