China's grand plan to create a vast urban area heated purely by clean energy continues to take shape. The Xiong'an New Area is a rising economic hub, strategically located in the countryside near Beijing and Tianjin. CGTN's Su Yuting shows us how this once-rural zone in Hebei province is quickly going green.

In a warm, toasty apartment, Ms. Sun and her 5-month-old granddaughter hop about in bare feet.

The temperature—27 degrees Celsius.

Sun is one of many locals in Xiong'an wearing short sleeves in winter thanks to a clean energy project.

MS. SUN XIONG'AN RESIDENT "This floor-heating works like a dream. They say it's clean energy. In the past, we relied on coal for our winter heat, which cost upwards of 4,000 yuan. Whereas this only costs about 1,000."

In a joint venture beginning in 2009, Chinese state-run energy giant Sinopec invested 400 million yuan, about 58 million US dollars into the Xiong'an geothermal power project.

WANG XIAOMAO, CHIEF MANAGER SINOPEC GREEN ENERGY GEOTHERMAL DEVELOPMENT CO. "These underground wells are pumped with water, which comes out at a temperature of around 70 Celsius before flowing into the heating system."

The central government has prioritized environmental protection for its current Five-Year Plan, which runs through 2020.

Geothermal power figures to play a bigger role with the rise of the Xiong'an New Area, and the inclusion of resources in China's latest national economic development plan.

SUN CAIXIA, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICERSINOPEC GREEN ENERGY GEOTHERMAL DEVELOPMENT CO. "Geothermal power is one of the most stable types of renewable energy. Xiong County is an area where geothermal energy is abundant and has great resource potential. It has become China's first 'smokeless town' by eliminating coal-fired heating systems."

SU YUTING XIONG'AN "Clean Energy is a clear priority for Xiong'an. President Xi Jinping has emphasized that a new special economic zone should first be a green and ecological area. That could point to further development of Xiong'an's geothermal technology, providing a model of creative measures for cleaning up the nation's polluted air and protecting the environment. Su Yuting, CGTN, Xiong'an."