WUZHONG, China, Nov. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The indoor temperature is steadily maintained at 24 degrees Celsius—clean, comfortable, and reassuring. Just look at this corner of the wall. In previous winters, we had to store four tons of coal here. Black ash would scatter everywhere, impossible to fully clean. Now, we’ve finally been liberated from that burden! On November 18, in Hexi Town, Tongxin County, Wuzhong City, villager Ma Yuqin swiped her card to activate the wall-mounted thermostat, stabilizing the room temperature at a human-comfortable 24°C. With a satisfied smile, she guided the reporter through her newly renovated home. The former coal storage space now stores grain, while both the interior and exterior of the house appear bright and spotless.
Meanwhile, in Banqiao Township, Liting District, Wuzhong City, villager Li Jianguo leisurely tends to green plants on his balcony. In past years, this time of year would already fill the house with the smell of coal smoke—flowers indoors were unthinkable. But now, things are different. Take a deep breath—the air carries only the fresh scent of greenery. “Since switching to electric heating,” said Li Jianguo, “not only has our household become cleaner and more convenient, but the overall air quality in the village has improved significantly.”
By the end of October, 51,400 urban and rural households in Wuzhong City—like those of Ma Yuqin and Li Jianguo—had officially ended the era of “hauling coal and stoking fires amid smoke and soot.” This quietly growing wave of warmth originated in 2021, when Wuzhong became the first city in the region selected as a pilot for the National Northern Region Winter Clean Heating Project. A major initiative integrating government leadership, enterprise execution, and public participation has since been comprehensively implemented across the region.
Four-Level Coordinated Planning Enables Accelerated Implementation
“Tight deadlines, heavy workloads, numerous sites, and wide coverage—these were our biggest challenges at the outset,” recalled Hu Jun, Head of the Distribution Network Management Department at State Grid Wuzhong Power Supply Company, standing before a detailed project map of the “coal-to-electricity” initiative. To ensure residents not only have access to electricity but also enjoy reliable and comfortable heating, the power grid required comprehensive reinforcement and upgrading.
Collaboration proved key. In recent years, State Grid Wuzhong Power Supply Company pioneered a four-level coordination mechanism linking government, power supply units, townships, and village committees. Dedicated personnel were dispatched in advance to village offices to collaborate with local authorities, conducting household-by-household surveys to finalize lists of participating villages and households. A customized “connection roadmap” was developed for each household, enabling precise implementation and significantly improving both efficiency and accuracy.
For villages with concentrated heating loads, a strategy of “whole-village promotion and new transformer zone construction” was adopted, reducing average connection time to just 5.3 working days. Shabawan Village in Chenyuantan Town, Qingtongxia City, exemplified this “Wu Electricity Speed.” At the time, 86 households urgently awaited heating. The power supply company deployed skilled teams, overcame harsh winter conditions, and completed all meter installations and power connections within seven days. “We are deeply grateful,” said the village secretary during a follow-up visit by company staff.
A robust power grid forms the foundation of reliable heating. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, State Grid Wuzhong Power Supply Company invested 720 million yuan to coordinate 390 rural grid renovation projects related to the “coal-to-electricity” initiative. A total of 499.71 kilometers of 10-kilovolt lines and 950.68 kilometers of 0.4-kilovolt lines were newly built or upgraded. Additionally, 993 distribution transformers were installed or expanded, with a total capacity of 265,450 kVA. These figures reflect the scale and depth of this transformative effort.
The comprehensive benefits of the “coal-to-electricity” initiative are increasingly evident. Data indicate that households completing the transformation reduce loose coal consumption by approximately 170,000 tons annually, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by about 540,000 tons, sulfur dioxide by 2,700 tons, and nitrogen oxides by 1,200 tons.
Strengthening the Power Grid: Sustaining the Warmth
With the rapid increase in “coal-to-electricity” users, winter heating demand has sharply increased, placing new pressure on local power grids—particularly in rural areas with historically weaker infrastructure.
In response, State Grid Wuzhong Power Supply Company has implemented targeted measures, integrating all supporting projects into the annual distribution network development plan. Adhering to a model of “weekly progress tracking and visualized management,” the company ensured full support in materials and construction resources, achieving a 100% investment completion rate. This year, material procurement bidding was completed three months ahead of schedule. During peak construction, over 1,200 personnel and more than 300 vehicles were mobilized to ensure all projects were operational before the heating season began, according to Pan Feng, a specialist from the Distribution Network Department.
In Dingtang Town, Tongxin County, a 35-kilovolt modular substation—occupying only half an acre—was successfully commissioned by the end of 2024, setting a benchmark for resolving local power supply bottlenecks. This modular station cuts construction time by 50% compared to conventional substations while significantly enhancing power supply capacity and intelligence. It now reliably supports a 16,000-kilowatt “coal-to-electricity” load in the surrounding area. Meanwhile, the company advanced capacity expansion projects at four 35-kilovolt substations—Tangfang, Wangtuan, Weizhou, and Xiamaguan—and completed load transfer and upgrades for three critical lines, including the 517 Weizhen Line at Weizhou Substation. These actions effectively alleviated overload issues at Yuhai Substation, ensuring precise alignment between grid development and load growth in both time and space.
Yang Cheng, Director of the Hexi Power Supply Office in Tongxin County, likened the upgraded transformer to a transportation upgrade: “It’s like transforming narrow rural paths into a broad expressway overnight.” Now, even in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, a single transformer district can simultaneously power all electric heaters and air conditioners in the entire village. “We feel extremely confident,” he added. Real-world performance confirms this: during evening peak hours in the heating season, 86% of “coal-to-electricity” users in Tongxin County turned on their heating simultaneously, yet the regional grid remained exceptionally stable.
Meeting people’s heating needs is a top priority. State Grid Wuzhong Power Supply Company aims not only to enable access to clean heating but also to enhance its quality. To this end, the company has systematically planned long-term improvements to the rural grid structure. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, it plans to install 791 new distribution transformers with a total capacity of 232.34 MVA, and construct or renovate 204.62 kilometers of 10-kilovolt lines and 827.28 kilometers of low-voltage lines. These upgrades will accommodate 47,600 new clean heating users. The average transformer capacity per household in “coal-to-electricity” zones will reach 3.51 kVA.
Service Enhancement: Delivering Precision Warmth
In Hongde Village, Hongshibao District, Wuzhong City, villager Ma Zhilong pulled out a notebook detailing a cost comparison before and after the transition. “Last winter, coal alone cost over 2,000 yuan, not to mention the labor and mess. This year, we switched to electric heating with time-of-use pricing. From 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., electricity costs just 24 cents per kilowatt-hour.”
This clear “warmth accounting” reflects State Grid Wuzhong Power Supply Company’s strict implementation of preferential electricity pricing policies for “coal-to-electricity” users. Households may opt for time-of-use rates, dividing the day into peak and off-peak periods. The off-peak rate is 20 cents lower than the standard residential rate, effectively easing financial concerns for residents.
In Liuquan Village, Hongshibao District, all 312 households have installed phase-change thermal storage electric heaters, making smart heating a new norm. As a technician explained, “These devices contain special phase-change materials—like high-capacity ‘thermal batteries.'” They charge at night, storing heat, and release it steadily during the day, maintaining consistent indoor temperatures. For users, this reduces electricity bills and ensures comfort; for the grid, it enables effective peak shaving and valley filling, easing peak-load pressure.
To ensure a worry-free winter, the company has intensified inspections and maintenance in areas with high concentrations of electric heating loads. A “daily temperature monitoring and weekly night patrol” mechanism has been implemented. Using infrared thermography and drone inspections, differentiated operation and maintenance have been carried out on 209 lines and 4,235 transformers involved in the transformation. The capacity of 61 short-term overloaded transformers has been upgraded or rotated, ensuring reliable power supply. The power service command system has been refined to optimize fault diagnosis and response, reducing frequent outage complaints by 52.71% year-on-year. On-site repair arrival rates have remained at 100% for several consecutive years, and user satisfaction continues to rise. Customer managers conduct targeted visits, a green channel for “coal-to-electricity” project expansions has been established, and campaigns promoting safe electricity use and policy interpretation have been widely conducted—transforming the “coal-to-electricity” initiative into a true “people’s heart-warming project.”
Clean heating delivers not only clearer skies but also tangible warmth and convenience in daily life. This steady flow of energy along the power grid is quietly reshaping how thousands of households experience winter—bringing warmth not only to homes but also to hearts.
