Power facilities of China Longyuan Power Group Co Ltd in Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region, June 17, 2014 [Photo/IC]

LHASA - China will speed up the development of clean energy in Tibet Autonomous Region from 2016 to 2020, under the principle of "putting the environment first," according to an energy official.

The initiative will boost the local economy and increase strategic reserves of clean energy, Nur Bekri, head of the National Energy Administration, said on Thursday at a conference on Tibet's energy development held in the regional capital of Lhasa.

The government will construct new hydropower projects to meet local demand, the official said.

In addition, the government encouraged the utilization of solar power, including photovoltaic generation, and called on companies to explore the abundant geothermal sources in Tibet.

Research will be carried into the feasibility of a pipeline to transport petroleum and natural gas from Golmud City in Qinghai to Lhasa.

By the end of last year, installed power capacity and power generation in Tibet increased by 136 percent and 75 percent, respectively from the 2010 levels, and the number of people having access to the main electric grid rose by around 33 percent from the same period.