Once confined to small, three-blade turbines that produced tiny volumes of electricity for remote cottages, wind power is again spreading across China's countryside.

In China's northern Inner Mongolia, legions of enormous white turbines stand high on the ground, capturing strong winds from the heartland of Mongolia and Siberia.

In China's northern Inner Mongolia, legions of enormous white turbines stand high on the ground, capturing strong winds from the heartland of Mongolia and Siberia. [nengyuan.net]

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Government says its installed capacity reached 3 million kilowatts by the end of 2008. This year that generating capacity is expected to rise by 50 percent.

Inner Mongolia's ambition was bolstered this month, when the Chinese government published a policy to boost development of alternative energies.

Wan Gang, Minister of Science and Technology, said at a forum in Beijing that China should "develop clean and environment-friendly new energy resources" as part of the plan to stimulate domestic demand and maintain high economic growth.

At the national annual session of China's top political advisory body, held in early March, officials with the State Energy Bureau under the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) voiced similar opinions.

Zhang Guobao, the bureau chief, said China should learn from past experience and put new energy development at "an important strategic position."