Beijing's coal use to be capped

BEIJING - The capital city will cap its annual coal consumption at 20 million tons by 2015, as part of its plan to release less carbon and further reduce air pollution, the municipal commission of development and reform said on Monday.

The city will rely on other forms of energy, such as natural gas, petrol, diesel and import electricity from other provinces, to meet its increasing energy demand.

"With the city continuing to expand and more people settling in Beijing, the energy demand is set to increase, so the pressure to further bring down energy and carbon intensity is mounting," said Wang Yingjian, a senior official from the municipal commission of development and reform.