Energy conservation law reviewed

China's top legislative body began reviewing a draft amendment to its energy conservation law, the South China Morning Post reported. The draft amendment law recommends that construction projects must meet required energy-saving standards and that existing structures be open to regular inspections. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress's economic committee chairman, Fu Zhihuan, said harsher penalties must be implemented if China's energy targets are to be met by 2010. Energy consumption is supposed to fall by 4% each year under a five-year plan ending in 2010. However, consumption only fell 1.23% last year.