Vietnam expands rural electricity

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HANOI, Vietnam, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Ninety-six percent of all homes in Vietnam now have electricity, government officials said, noting the country is turning away from coal to renewable energy.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade said Vietnam has installed 29 hydro-electric plants since 2002, and a commitment by former colonial power France to invest millions of euros to modernize the nation's electric grid has helped Vietnam turn to renewable energy rather than burning coal to create power, Viet Nam News reported Saturday.

France has committed 75 million euros ($101 million) for a 270-mile high voltage power line to connect hydro-electric power stations in the central portion of the country to southern Vietnam, where demand for electricity is increasing, the news agency said.