Nileke County, at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is pioneering a model that combines clean energy with the traditional herding, turning hillsides into power stations while helping local farmers to boost income.
On the slopes, rows of solar panels stretch across the hillsides. Beneath them, grass grows thick and green, while flocks of sheep graze. It is now Asia's largest integrated wind and solar power project.
"This place used to be a barren land. After the solar panels were set up, we started receiving subsidies while still being able to herd here," said Sarsan Muhutalhan, a herdsman.
"The panels are raised at least 1.5 meters above the ground, so the sheep can move around underneath. The grass here actually grows greener and thicker than outside thanks to the shade. Grazing cycles have been extended from about half a month to nearly a full month," said Liu Yong, head of operations and inspection of Zhonglu Power, Yili Region.
The model combining solar power with animal husbandry has boosted farmers' incomes.
"Most of the grassland is owned by herders themselves. Now villagers receive rent, which increases by 5 percent every five years, with leases running for 25 years. On average, each household earns about 18,000 yuan (around 2,530 U.S. dollars) more per year，with some even starting their own new small businesses," said Mulati Duixian, Communist Party of China branch deputy secretary of Kukubai Village in Nileke County.
Every year, the project generates about 300 million kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to power more than 150,000 households. It also reduces carbon emissions by 400,000 tons annually, the equivalent of planting more than 20 million trees.
Xinjiang's Nileke County takes advantage of local solar energy resources to drive green development
