Provinces swap coal for renewable energy

Two of China's most coal-rich provinces, Shanxi and Heilongjiang, are stepping up their development of new energy in a bid to reduce coal consumption and curb air pollution.

Aside from answering the country's call to increase natural gas supplies for heating this winter, the two provinces have also enacted a series of measures to increase installed wind and solar power generating capacities.

By the end of 2018, the northern province of Shanxi saw its total installed wind and solar power generating capacities top 19 gigawatts, up 30 percent year-on-year, according to the State Grid Shanxi Electric Power Co Ltd.