On April 12, hundreds of people in Heyuan, Guangdong province, protested against the expansion of a coal-fired power plant, reflecting growing public awareness of environmental protection. Therefore, the local government has to address public concern, especially because the Chinese economy has embraced the "new normal", which features mid-to high-speed growth with higher efficiency to achieve sustainable development.

Heyuan's residents had been complaining against the smog covering the area since the power plant began operations in 2008. But officials, ignoring their complaints, recently approved the second phase of the project.

The central government's "new normal" economic growth plan offers more opportunities for local governments to restructure their local economies. More modest but higher quality growth is the "new normal" that the central government has espoused, which should afford local governments the opportunity to prioritize the restructuring of the energy industry and implement policies at the local level that lead toward cleaner sources.

The central government has used its strong financial position to direct tens of billions of dollars into clean energy and, together with initiatives launched at the beginning of this year, requires local governments to continue this clean energy drive to establish environmentally friendly local culture.

Delegating the responsibility to reform the energy industry and consumption pattern to local regions is the only way to cement permanent reform. Public engagement on a regular basis between local governments and local people is the key to driving forward the change toward a cleaner, greener China.