China considers price controls on surging coal market Impunzi coal mines South Africa. Image: Glencore China is considering imposing a cap on the price of thermal coal as it struggles to contain stubbornly high energy costs ahead of peak demand over the summer. One idea under discussion is to cap the price at which miners sell coal, according to people familiar with the plan, who declined to be named because the matter isn’t public. Yulin, a major production base in northwestern Shaanxi province, is already testing a price cap, one of the people said. Sign Up for the Energy Digest