CHINESE energy authorities have taken a government policy designed to encourage a switch from coal to gas for households and utilities to an extreme, converting so many facilities to gas over the past two years that demand has outstripped supply, leaving many families and commercial outlets without gas to stoke the fire. To mitigate a potential gas supply crunch, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who also heads the National Energy Commission, dialled down the rhetoric on coal-to-gas conversion last October, saying China should adapt to "use electricity, coal or gas based on local conditions".
展开▼
