Inner Mongolia powerful electricity generator

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, in North China, is one of the country's biggest electricity generators, providing up to a third of the power used by Beijing every year.

As a key resource provider, the region delivered a total of 55.5 billion kWh to its surrounding provinces and municipalities by the end of 2006.

"Last year when Beijing and other places tried to restrict the use of power by switching it off, power exports from Inner Mongolia contributed greatly to help boost the coal-to-electricity strategy," Qiao Mu, vice-director of the provincial development and reform committee, told China Daily.