Hebei to cut usage of coal

Northern province is promoting clean energy as an alternative for heating

Beijing's neighboring Hebei province will significantly reduce its use of coal for heating this year to improve air quality, according to provincial authorities.

"By the end of this year, 90 percent of coal used in the province's rural areas will be replaced by clean energy, and environmentally friendly heat generation methods will be employed," said Guo Dajian, secretary-general of the Hebei Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the province's top political advisory body.