Farmers in Xinyu, a village in Haimen, Jiangsu province, install solar panels on their roofs. The panels will reduce the use of electricity generated by thermal power plants. (Photo: Xinhua)

BEIJING, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- China will promote the use of renewable energy as one of the important sources of heating in the country's rural areas during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the National Energy Administration (NEA) said.

The administration has issued a circular to improve energy structure and utilize renewable energy for heating, calling on all localities to take measures in accordance with local conditions.

To that end, local governments should set specific targets based on local conditions and energy demand, while supporting the building of a heating system combining renewable energy with other heating methods, the NEA said.

China plans to further improve its energy structure by tapping the potential of various types of renewable energy, including solar energy, wind energy, biomass, geothermal and ocean energy.