Yangquan city in North China's Shanxi province plans to further optimize the development layout of its energy industries, including coal, power and the clean energy sectors, in the current year. 

According to the Yangquan energy bureau, the city will focus on energy project construction in the current year. Local officials said there are 29 energy projects under construction and scheduled to be built in 2020 in the city, with a total investment of 34.93 billion yuan ($4.91 billion).

They said the bureau will consolidate the momentum achieved from successful construction projects last year and offer policies that will help local companies develop energy projects in an orderly fashion.

The city will advance green and intelligent coal mining. Cui Zhenghong, director of Yangquan energy bureau, said the city would promote the upgrading of the local coal washing industry in terms of its processing and environmental protection standards. 

Cui said Yangquan would accelerate the construction of coal mines with advanced coal production capacity. 

Officials said the focus would also be on improving the healthy development of the power industry. 

They said that Yangquan would continue to lay a solid foundation for its clean power supplies and there are plans to develop pilot power distribution projects in the Yangquan Economic and Technological Development Zone and in the Pingding Economic and Technological Development Zone.

Meanwhile, the city will further improve the direct transaction mechanism between power consumption, sales and electricity utilities.

Officials said it will continue to expand the scale of power market transactions, to achieve the target of power direct transactions to 3 billion kilowatt-hours and reduce electricity costs by 120 million yuan by the end of this year. 

Yangquan will also speed up construction of solar power and wind power projects to promote the sustainable development of its new energy sector. 

To improve the city's energy technology and core competitiveness, Yangquan will also work on integrating its power industry with 5G communications technology, including 5G-based intelligent mining, and encourage energy companies to work with leading universities and scientific research institutions.