Horrific smog in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. (Photo : Getty Images)
China, through its National Energy Administration, announced that its 85 planned coal power plants are being deferred as they do not fit in China's five-year plan.
The government is setting its capacity at 1,100 gigawatts of electricity, but the coal power plants in progress could produce 1,250 GW.
Although the move is not due to China being concerned about public health or the state of the environment, it was taken positively.
Most cities listed as air pollution contributors are found in China. A research on air pollution in China as published by Bloomberg in 2015 indicated deaths of around 4,000 people happen daily, attributing coal-burning activities as the main culprit.
The study conducted by Berkeley Earth said deaths are due to heart attacks, lung cancer, strokes, and asthma caused by PM2.5, a tiny hazardous particle.
The Chinese government acknowledged China's air pollution levels have reached a seriously alarming level.
The latest move from China in suppressing construction of coal power plants has also been supported by officials who are said to have been worried about the excess of electricity the plants may generate.
Many of these officials told officials in the provinces not to approve any more coal power plant projects as early as the first quarter of 2016.
In October last year, ongoing construction projects were shut down after 90 percent of to-be-implemented projects were similarly axed in April.
But the policy on suppressing coal power plants does not mean China is shifting its resources from coal, according to a report from The Independent United Kingdom.
Earlier, however, China announced it is exerting efforts in fighting the effects of global warming. And while it does not do away with fossil fuels and coal for energy resources, it is investing more in renewable energy, specifically, wind power plants.
