Nation plans major drive to expand wind capacity

Wind generator installed in high-altitude region

Solution to growth of new-energy firms blowing in the wind

Winds of change at turbine maker

Thanks to improved grid construction and dispatching and enhanced equipment performance, wind turbines' average time in service increased 9.7 percent to 207.4 hours from the previous year, the NEA said.

The industry added installed wind capacity of 14.49 million kW last year, 23 percent more than in the previous year, bringing the total (on- and offshore) to 77.16 million kW, according to the NEA.

China relies on coal for about 70 percent of its energy. The government has been moving to restructure the nation's energy consumption as it strives to increase renewable energy sources to 15 percent of total consumption by 2020 to cut air pollution.

According to the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index, China was just behind the United States, which was at the top of the ranking for the fourth quarter.

After China came Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom.

The index, released by EY (a member firm of Ernst & Young Global Ltd), scored 40 countries on the attractiveness of their renewable energy markets, energy infrastructure and the suitability for individual technologies.

China scored 73.1 out of 100 in the fourth quarter, up from 71.6 in the third. The US slipped to 74.4 from 74.7, EY said in an e-mailed report to Bloomberg.

"China has remained a dominant market in the index, reflecting an unprecedented pace of deployment backed by substantial targets and continued high growth in energy demand," said Klair White, editor of the report.

Smoggy memories

Top 10 cities with worst smog in China