China's coldest province promotes greener heating

HARBIN - Northeast China's Heilongjiang province is promoting a shift from coal to electricity while reducing electricity prices during its heating season to improve air quality.

The temperature of China's northernmost province can drop to as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius in some regions, while many other cities see temperatures between minus 15 to minus 30 degrees Celsius in winter. The heating season usually stretches to over six months.

According to the provincial power company, 13 10-KV power grid projects supporting the shift to electricity have been installed in 2019, while 33.5 km of 10-KV power lines have been built or renovated.

A favorable pricing scheme has also been introduced to encourage heating from electricity. It is estimated that locals will save about 57 million yuan ($8.14 million) in electricity costs during the 2019-2020 heating season, consuming 492 million kilowatt-hours, up 43.7 percent from last season.