An electronics factory in Zhuhai, China. Chris from Shenzhen, China via Wikipedia

By several measures, Chinese industry is becoming less dependent on fossil fuels, according to a new analysis.

New clean power more than met the growth in demand across China last year, leading to a small decline in coal output, according to think tank Ember. Analysts identified eight provinces where coal generation is now seeing declines, including industrial centers such as Hunan and Shandong, and it named another nine provinces where the growth of coal generation has slowed substantially.

On top of declines in coal power, factories are moving away from using fossil fuels for industrial processes. Textile plants may use gas boilers to generate heat for dyeing fabrics, for instance, while food producers may use gas ovens for cooking.…