Beijing has shut down its last large coal-fired power plant, making it the first among major cities to totally generate power from natural gas sources.

The closure of the Huaneng Beijing Thermal Power Plant comes as Beijing actively pushes its five-year clean air action plan, on objective laid out in 2013. Beijing becomes the first city to have all its power sourced by natural gas, state-backed Xinhua News reported.

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Huaneng was blamed as one of the contributors of at least 10 million tons of coal emissions per year. It is the fourth plant to be closed and replaced by gas thermal power center from 2013 to 2017.

The initiative was reported the night before Beijing officials issued a blue alert notice for heavy smog on Sunday. The capital was cloaked on high pollution level for a couple of days already, and they feared the situation could last for at least a week or so. And the top solution to prevent occurrence of high atmospheric particle matter or PM problems is to opt for natural gas over than coal.

Since the closing of the National People's Congress last Wednesday, PM2.5 levels maintained between 200 and 300 micrograms per cubic meter, significantly high compared with the WHO's recommendation of only 25 micrograms per cubic meter in a 24-hour period.

Usually, the pollution vanishes when major significant events take place such as legislative sessions and the 2008 Summer Olympics since factories are ordered to half their activity and force cars off the road. And during the NPC, average PM2.5 levels hovered only between 50 and 80, despite surpassing the 200 micrograms per cubic meter mark just a day before the parliament sessions opened on March 5.

When asked about such disparity, Premier Li Keqiang reiterated his commitment to target coal-burning and vehicle emissions.

"We may not be able to control the weather, but we can adjust our behavior and our way of development," he said, adding that "Blue skies should no longer be a luxury, nor they will be."