BEIJING - The lagging construction of power transmission lines has constrained the use of electricity generated from new energy resources in China, an expert said.

Twenty billion kilowatt-hours of wind-generated electricity were wasted last year, mainly due to underdeveloped transmission facilities, said Zhang Guobao, director of the Expert Advisory Committee under the National Energy Administration.

China has abundant wind resources in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region and other northern areas. It had the greatest installed wind power capacity of any country in the world as of last year.

The infrastructure problem is likely to lead to the waste of some 20 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity generated at the Luoxidu and Xiangjiaba hydropower stations on the Jinshajiang River this year, Zhang estimated.

China has been striving to boost its share of new energy resources used in primary energy consumption in a bid to reduce emissions amid rising public complaints regarding environmental issues.

Non-fossil fuels contributed to 21.4 percent of the country's total power generation last year, with hydropower taking up 17.4 percent and wind power taking up 2 percent, according to Zhang.

The government should prioritize and hasten approvals for construction projects on ultra-high-voltage lines to facilitate electricity transmission to major power-consuming regions, Zhang suggested.