LONDON - China's new policy for gas usage could usher in a golden era for a greater role of natural gas in the global energy mix, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.

"Despite minimal growth in gas-fired power generation in China from 2000 to 2009, its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) reflects a major policy shift, which aims to give gas a much more important role in the broader energy system," the IEA said in a special report entitled Are We Entering The Golden Age of Gas?, which was released on Monday in London.

China's 12th Five-Year Plan has strong implications for gas usage, targeting an 8.3 percent share in the primary energy mix in 2015 or 260 billion cubic meters (cu m) annually, based on China's goal for energy consumption.