The electricity industry

Coal-fired power plants account for over two thirds of the nation's installed capacity. Last year the nation's total generating capacity surpassed 622 gigawatts, an increase of 20.3 percent, according to stastics of CEC.

And the proportion of coal-fired power plants saw a rise in the total installed capacity amounting to over 77 percent.

The coal industry has also seen rapid development, producing 1.86 billion tons of coal in the first 11 months of 2006, an increase of 12 percent, said the National Bureau of Statistics.

China's coal output is expected to reach 2.6 billion tons in 2010 as it continues to be the nation's most important energy resource, according to an NDRC outline of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10) for the coal industry.

Despite the nation's economic reform, technological innovation and energy-saving efforts, demand for coal will continue to grow, said the outline.

(China Daily 01/25/2007 page15)

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