China's wind-generated electricity capacity is likely to top five million kilowatts next year ahead of the national development plan, two years sooner than expected.

Wind power was developing rapidly and the installed capacity would reach four million kilowatts by the end of 2007, said Li Junfeng, secretary general of the China Association of Resource Comprehensive Utilization, at a forum on renewable energy that closed on Friday.

According to China's national development plan, the total installed capacity of wind power will reach five million kw by 2010 and 30 million kw by 2020.

The development and use of renewable energy had accelerated since the Renewable Energy Law of China came into effect early last year, he said.

New capacity increased 165 percent to 1.33 million kilowatts in 2006.

China is expected to overtake Germany and the United States to become the world's largest wind power producer by 2020, the 2006 Annual Report on China's New Energy Industry forecast.

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2007)