Power-Hungry China Drafting Energy Law
Posted on: Thursday, 26 January 2006, 03:03 CST
By CASSIE BIGGS
BEIJING - China is drafting an energy law to regulate the country's voracious appetite for power and improve safety in its deadly coal mining industry, state media said Thursday.
China has been battling acute energy shortages as its economy roars ahead at breakneck speed, seeing growth last year of 9.9 percent.
Increased power consumption, by individuals as well as industry, has left it increasingly reliant on imported oil, a situation China feels threatens its national security.
"With rapid economic growth, problems in the energy area are gradually showing up, and the complicated international environment also poses a new challenge to the security of China's energy and economy," according to a statement released by Beijing's top planning agency, the National Reform and Development Commission.
The law would reflect China's strategy of seeking cleaner and more stable sources of energy, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
China has several laws on oil, natural gas and conservation, but lacks a single regulation that reflects overall policy, Jiang Kejun, market analyst for China's quasi-governmental Energy Research Institute, told The Associated Press.
The new law would likely stress the need for lower power consumption and cleaner sources of energy. It was also likely to detail how to increase private investment in energy industries, from nuclear to coal, Jiang said.
"If we need a bigger energy industry to supply China's large demands, public investment will not be enough," Jiang said.
China has the world's largest coal market in terms of annual production, but its mines are among the deadliest, as thousands of people are killed each year in floods, cave-ins, fires and explosions. Shortages of coal needed to fire power plants have resulted in widespread brownouts in recent years, while also spurring mine operators to violate safety rules to boost production.
The new law would include regulations to protect miners, Xinhua said, without providing details.
The government also will encourage large coal mines to merge with smaller ones since big operators tend to pay more attention to work safety, it said.
The agency didn't say when the draft law would be completed. It first must be approved by the State Council, or Cabinet, and then by China's legislature, which convenes its annual session in March.
Source: Associated Press/AP Online
Related Articles
- Dongfang Electric Signs Major Equipment-Supply Contracts for Two Coal-Fired Power Plants in India, an Industrial Info News Alert
- Hubei Nuclear Preparing Plans for China's First Inland Nuclear Power Station, an Industrial Info News Alert
- NACEL Energy Optimizes Wind Power Generation With Industry Leading Technology
- China Energy Industry - Porter's Five Forces Strategy Analysis
- Indiana Department of Environmental Management Issues Air Permit for Duke Energy Coal Gasification Power Plant
- AMSC China Established to Serve Asia-Pacific Wind Energy, Power Grid and Industrial Markets
- Construction of New Mexico Coal-Fired Power Station Project Placed on Hold and Could Be Cancelled, an Industrial Info News Alert
- China's Energy Industry Imports Technology Worth 9.34 Billion Dollars in Five Years
- China to Build First Zero-Pollution Coal-Fired Power Plant
- Vice Premier Hails China's First Zero-Pollution Coal-Fired Power Plant
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds