China on Tuesday announced a major policy change for its crisis-ridden power sector by allowing coal-fired power plants to charge their industrial and commercial customers market-driven prices. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China said the electricity generated by coal-fired plants would discover price in market trading “in an orderly manner” from October 15.

       This is being done to pass on the high costs of coal and is being held up as the boldest reform in the Chinese power sector. India, which too is in a coal and power crisis, has lessons to learn ...