By Reuters Staff
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BEIJING, Jan 14 (Reuters) - China’s coal imports rebounded in December after sliding for nine consecutive months, as Beijing relaxed import restrictions for some utilities to help meet surging demand for heating during harsh winter weather.
Coal arrivals were 39.08 million tonnes last month, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Thursday, more than tripling from 11.76 million tonnes in November and rocketing from only 2.77 million tonnes in December a year ago.
Increased inflows in December pushed full-year coal purchases to 303.99 million tonnes, the highest level on record, the data showed.
Chinese media reported in mid-December that the country’s top economic planner had granted approval to power plants to import coal without clearance restrictions, except for Australia, which accounts for about 40% of Chinese imports.
Northeast Asia has been hit by a midwinter energy crisis as an extended period of much lower than normal temperatures across the region has strained supplies of coal, gas and electricity to breaking point.
Wind and solar make up a small share of U.S. electricity production today, but they re poised to supply 70 percent of new power plant capacity built this year.
That s not according to pro-solar activists or industry trade groups. It s the calculation of the federal government.
Solar will deliver the most new capacity, with 39 percent, according to the latest tally by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Wind follows close behind with 31 percent. The long-awaited Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia could finally wrap up one of its reactors this year, contributing another 3 percent. And battery storage will grow to 11 percent of new capacity, with a carbon impact determined by the cleanliness of the electricity that charges them.