Zhejiang drives green electricity

State Grid Haiyan Power Supply Co, located in Zhejiang province, is driving rural green and low-carbon electricity use by upgrading its power grid, supporting the electrification of residential stoves, and installing supplementary control systems and circuits.

In Xueshuigang village, Haiyan county, the company applied the "Carbon Footprint Energy Assessment System" to calculate the village's carbon emissions and guide the transition from traditional wood-burning stoves to electric ones, by installing heating elements, circuits and control systems at the base of the traditional stoves.

"Now there's less smoke from burning wood, more convenient and cost-effective for cooking," said local villager Chen Xiaoying.

To date, 476 households in Xueshuigang village have switched to electric stoves, reducing firewood consumption by approximately 1,042 metric tons annually and cutting carbon emissions by 154.63 tons. The savings from electric cooking, combined with income from selling straw and firewood, have increased the villagers' annual income by 280,000 yuan ($39,323) in total.

Meanwhile, State Grid Haiyan Power Supply Co has invested in upgrading the power grid network, installing new transformers, lines, and poles to ensure the stable integration of power generated from intermittent new energy sources, as they could cause turbulence in power loads caused by various sunlight or wind levels. In the past, most grids were optimized for the transmission of steady volumes of power derived from fossil fuels.

The company also promotes carbon reduction strategies among local institutions and businesses, encouraging the use of renewable resources like rainwater and solar energy for generating electricity to significantly reduce traditional energy consumption like coals and woods, to achieve low-carbon emissions.