China to build coastal wind farms

China said it would build wind turbines 50 kilometers (30 miles) offshore to supply clean power to the populous coastal area within two or three decades, making offshore wind farms a key part of its renewable energy program, Reuters reported Shi Pengfei, vice-chairman of the Chinese Wind Energy Association, as saying. China's top state planner, Ma Kai, said in April the country is exploring other energy sources to reduce its reliance on coal. Sea winds could eventually generate an estimated 750 gigawatts; China aims to have 20 gigawatts of wind-generating capacity installed by 2020, or about 1% of annual electricity consumption then, Shi said.