China's National Energy Administration was founded in August 2010. [File photo] |
China is considering creating a new energy "super-ministry" to replace the current National Energy Administration as part of the reshuffle inside the State Council in 2013, Oriental Morning Post reported Monday, citing foreign media reports.
The new ministry would take charge of all energy-related duties that are currently in the hands of several government bodies, the report said.
China is the world's largest energy producer and consumer, yet the country still lacks a single independent energy regulatory body. The NEA, which was founded in 2008, is under the administration of the National Development and Reform Commission.
China had once formed the Ministry of Energy back in 1988, yet the ministry was eliminated five years later. It was not until 16 years later in 2010, when China finally established the NEA, a significant move aimed at strengthening the centralized management of the country's energy sectors.
China's business press carried the story above on Monday.