The Chinese are now reversing previous policy and cancelling coal power plants, replacing them with non-carbon power.
Credit: Greenpeace

The Chinese government ordered the suspension of 104 new coal power plants from being built, signifying the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gasses commitment to curbing air pollution in the country, the Reuters reported Tuesday. (emphasis added)

The country’s National Energy Administration said it would invest $365 billion into renewable energy alternatives.

Government officials said the alternatives energy generators would be made up of hydro, solar and nuclear plants. They predicted these sources would eventually comprise 50 percent of the country’s energy by 2020. The fuel from the burning of coal currently accounts for the majority of China’s power supply.

This shift in energy sources would reportedly create 13 million jobs for people living in the 13 regions where the construction of these factories was halted.

The Chinese government had tried to curb its air pollution problems since April 2016 when it announced a “traffic light”  set of regulations on the construction of new […]