CHANGCHUN, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Amid the freezing cold and snow-covered houses of his village in northeast China's Jilin Province, Kong Xiangling moves comfortably around the kitchen before the Chinese New Year, tending a biomass stove as a pot of sauerkraut and pork simmers, filling the air with its rich aroma.
Hot water from the stove flows through pipes to the radiators, keeping the room at above 20 degrees Celsius, a sharp contrast to the smoky, frigid winters in Tangjiagangzi, Baishishan Town of Jiaohe City, that Kong remembers from decades ago.
"We used to burn firewood for everything, whether cooking, heating our kang beds, or just keeping warm," Kong recalled. "The kitchen was always thick with smoke that stung our throats and frost clung to every corner of the house. I would get up before dawn to add coal and clear out the ash, and my relatives would always complain about the smoke whenever they visited."
That harsh reality has eased in recent years thanks to China's push for clean energy in rural areas.
Kong and more than 100 other households in her village have witnessed dramatic changes. Pit latrines have been replaced by flush toilets, coal stoves swapped for clean biomass ones and tap water has eliminated the daily chore of carrying water from wells. "A handful of compressed straw does the work of both cooking and heating now," she said. "No smoke, no odor, and it saves us money." The old coal stove now sits in the corner as a relic of the past.
Jiaohe City has been a pioneer in this transformation. It is the only county in the three northeastern provinces chosen as one of China's first rural energy revolution pilot zones. Beyond promoting biomass stoves, the city is developing a medium-deep geothermal heating project in Baishishan Town that will cover 593,000 square meters and put an end to coal-burning heating for good.
Hundreds of kilometers to the east, in Tianqiaoling Town of Wangqing County, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, clean energy is also transforming winter life. Inside the snow-covered Taoyuan black fungus industrial park, constant-temperature greenhouses hum with activity as steam curls through the air and clusters of plump black fungus grow steadily on the racks.
Yan Cuilian, a villager working at the industrial park, holds a power detector and watches the stable current reading with relief. "Even when heavy snow blocks the roads, our greenhouses never lose power thanks to the electrified equipment," she said. "That used to be unthinkable."
Perched on China's border, Wangqing long struggled with an unstable power supply. As a remote area at the edge of the national grid, winter snow and rain often froze power lines, causing blackouts. Traditional black fungus farming was entirely weather-dependent, and once winter arrived, work ground to a halt, leaving villagers with little to do but wait out the cold.
"We couldn't even watch TV freely in the old days, let alone grow fungus in winter," recalled Yan. "The voltage was always fluctuating, and appliances would trip constantly."
Everything changed in 2023, when the State Grid Jilin Electric Power Company Limited launched a county-level autonomous clean energy power grid in Wangqing. Engineers braved temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius to climb snow-covered mountains and survey photovoltaic sites. They went door to door, listening to villagers' energy needs and promising a self-sufficient power solution.
"We were skeptical at first," Yan said. "But within a few months, the photovoltaic bases, small hydropower stations and energy storage stations were all linked together, and our power problems were solved for good."
Song Xiaozhe from the State Grid Jilin Electric Power Company Limited explained the technology behind the transformation. "The source-grid-load-storage autonomous balance system provides minute-level power generation forecasting, second-level power balancing, and millisecond-level control response," Song said. "It is like a safety airbag for the local power grid."
With stable power, industries in Wangqing have flourished. Jin Shunyu, a villager, said her electric heater and washing machine now run smoothly all the time. "The house is warm and cozy, and even my pickle ferments faster," she laughed. "My children bought us an apartment in the city, but we don't want to leave. This village is clean, warm, and full of life."
Tang Datao, director of Wangqing's special industry development service center, noted that clean energy has turned winter from a season of idleness into a time of income. "Fields used to lie barren in winter, but now green power allows us to grow crops and earn money all year round," he said.
From biomass stoves in Jilin's hinterland to clean energy greenhouses on the eastern border, these changes reflect a broader push for new energy and align with China's commitment to green development. According to the 2026 Jilin provincial government work report, the output value of the province's new energy industry soared by more than 200 percent during China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).
This year, the province plans to add 10 million kilowatts of new energy installed capacity, expand applications of green low-carbon technologies, and foster a green manufacturing ecosystem, as the report noted. "For villagers, this means warmer, cleaner winters and a brighter future," Tang said. ■
