Cost-Benefit Analysis of Clean Cooking and Heating Solutions in Rural China

This study presents a framework for clean cooking and heating in rural China, utilizing affordable electrification and biofuel pellets. It finds that under a power grid renovation cap of ¥8000 per household, 75% of the population in long-term heating regions could switch to electric heating, reducing PM emissions by 65% and averting over 51,000 premature deaths. Additionally, a transition to clean cooking could avert nearly 79,000 premature deaths, with significant health benefits exceeding costs.

Published Mar 20, 2026

A new framework for clean cooking and heating in rural China focuses on affordable electrification and biofuel pellets. Under a power grid renovation cap of ¥8000 per household, 75% of the long-term heating region's population could adopt electric heating, leading to a 65% reduction in national residential primary PM emissions from 724 Gg to 256 Gg.

AI-curated by Theia

This transition could prevent approximately 51,190 premature deaths, with monetized health benefits nearly 2.55 times the costs. A clean cooking transition could avert an additional 78,740 premature deaths, yielding a benefit-cost ratio of 7.70. Combining both approaches would result in greater overall benefits, with costs and health impacts varying by region and age group.