Energy consumption per 10,000 yuan ($1,520) of gross domestic product dropped 4.01 percent year on year in 2010, said the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Monday.

The country's annual energy consumption totaled 3.25 billion tons of standard coal last year, up 5.9 percent from a year earlier, the NBS said in a bulletin.

The country's natural gas consumption jumped 18.2 percent year on year in 2010, while coal, crude oil and electricity consumption increased 5.3 percent, 12.9 percent and 13.1 percent, respectively.

A report released Monday by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) said total energy consumption in China may reach 5.1 billion tons of standard coal in 2015 if left uncontrolled, even though the country tries to limit the consumption to an equivalent of 4 billion tons.

"China's economy is now in a situation where its development must be restructured. The high cost of energy, unsound structure, low efficiency and energy safety are among the prominent issues in our country's energy development," the report said.

The report urged that energy be used based on "scientific supply and reasonable needs."

The report, however, said that it was a proper goal for China to keep the energy consumption at 4 billion tons of standard coal in 2015.

According to the report, China's energy development is projected to experience a historic transition around 2030 when its consumption of coal becomes restrained, the emission of carbon dioxide reaches its peak and energy-saving capacities around the world reaches an advanced level.

The report, which is based on a major consultative project launched by the CAE in January 2008, called for the strengthening of the use of natural gas and other non-fossil energy sources and forcing local governments and companies to practice energy savings and emissions reductions by drafting more laws and regulations.