OREANDA-NEWS. January 23, 2015. Six national departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, have launched an interim regulation on the management of reducing consumption and alternative energy of coal in major areas.

According to the regulation, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area will cut 63 million tons of coal consumption in 2017 when compared to the amount in 2012.

Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei province will reduce their coal consumption by 13 million, 10 million, and 40 million tons respectively.

It is said that the implementation of the interim regulation aims to eliminate outdated capacity, reducing the consumption of coal, and finding and utilizing premium energies as alternatives to coal to eliminate air pollution and improve air quality.

The interim regulation is also implemented in North China's Shandong province, Shanghai city, East China's Jiangsu province, Zhejiang province, and the Pearl River Delta area in South China's Guangdong province.

According to the interim regulation, during the implementation, each major area should take their own characteristics into consideration. The areas should utilize nuclear power, water power, wind power, solar power, biomass power, geothermal power, and renewable energies to replace the consumption of coal as a top priority.

The areas should also plan before developing, actively coordinate and implement sources of gas, and implement an orderly transmission of projects using gas and electricity to replace coal.

In addition, the areas should promote centralized heating, and utilize electrical machines to replace coal firing furnaces.

Furthermore, the areas should enhance the management of coal, and gradually reduce the use of coal or use premium coals to replace low quality types.

In the process of reducing the use of coal and finding alternative energy supplies, the government will provide a series of support policies, which include accelerating the construction of a power grid of networked channels, completing the environmental protective electricity price system, and supporting the coal consumption reduction and alternative energy utilization in a cross industrial dimension.

It is reported that Beijing continuously enhanced its pollution reduction last year. The average density of PM2.5 has fallen four percent.

In addition, Tianjin is managing its pollution levels. The amount of days whose air quality met minimum standards increased 31 days in the first nine months of last year.

Moreover, Hebei province reduced coal consumption by 15 million tons last year, realizing a negative growth of coal consumption for the first time.