Clean energy transition in residential heating: Policy advocacy and spillover effects

This study investigates the direct and spillover effects of clean heating policy advocacy on rural households' adoption of heating energy. Drawing on original household survey data from rural China, this study focuses on two key channels through which policy advocacy influences adoption decisions: direct promotion efforts within local communities and demonstration effects from neighboring districts that have already completed clean heating transitions. The results show that: (1) village-level clean heating promotion via bulletin boards, broadcasts, and household visits is associated with an approximately 25% increase in the likelihood of clean coal use and a 7% increase in electric heating adoption, while reducing households' reliance on raw coal and firewood; (2) households exposed to “dual substitution” demonstration projects are about 13% more likely to switch from raw coal to clean heating than those without such demonstration; and (3) households’ perceptions of technological suitability, thermal efficiency, safety, affordability, and environmental benefits of clean heating moderate the relationship between policy advocacy and heating energy choices. These findings could offer practical insights for designing targeted policy advocacy interventions in regions with weak environmental regulation, and provide actionable guidance for supporting clean energy transitions tailored to local contexts in other developing countries.