Apr. 23, 2008 (China Knowledge) - China is facing short supply of coal reserves currently, with the total coal reserves dropped to 46.69 million tons as of Apr. 20, down form 53 million tons in early March, according to vice chairman of the China Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) Wang Yeping.

The coal reserves for power even dropped to fewer than seven days in some provinces such as Anhui, Hebei province and Chongqing Municipality, according to Wang.

The coal prices had been put up by strong domestic demand and the national crackdown on illegal coal mines as well as transportation bottlenecks. Wang said that adjusting power prices need comprehensive consideration, taking into account the affordability to both consumers and producers.

The country's coal output in the first quarter this year surged 14.6% year-on-year to 569.3 million tons, according to the Beijing-based China Mainland Marketing Research Co. China became a net coal importer in the first quarter last year