China to cap energy consumption growth at 8%

China is looking to cap the growth of electricity consumption at 8% a year from 2010 to 2015, in concert with a boost in wind, solar and nuclear energy, Bloomberg reported. As part of a five year plan, Beijing will seek to reduce carbon emissions by 17% and energy consumption by 16%, measured per unit of GDP, a statement from China’s State Council said Thursday. The world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide predicted a near doubling of consumer power consumption per capita by 2015. In that time frame, the government wants 11.4% of its electricity to come from non-fossil sources, up from 8.6% in 2010. The plan will also look to reduce coal’s share of generating capacity from 68% in 2010 to less that 65% in 2015. The five year plan ending in 2015 will push an increase in power generated by solar plants by 89.5% a year, wind capacity by 26.4%, nuclear power by 29.9%, natural gas by 11.2% and coal by 7.8%.