A Study of Trends in Low-Energy Development Patterns in China: A Data-Driven Approach

Abstract

China is currently undergoing a transition towards high-quality economic development, and the industrial structure is being optimized. However, there are still regional imbalances in economic development and energy consumption. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate whether the disparities in electricity intensity between provinces and industries can converge over time. This paper investigates the trend towards low-energy consumption in China and verifies the club convergence of electricity intensity across provinces and industries in China using a data-driven log t-test and club clustering algorithm. The study innovatively finds that the convergence of electricity intensity is more pronounced in the tertiary sector. The value added of electricity consumption in the tertiary sector is closely related to the level of regional economic development, further indicating that the pattern of low-energy development is closely related to factors such as the geographical location of the province, regional radiation capacity, and industrial structure. In order to accelerate low-energy development in China, the paper proposes policy recommendations related to low-energy development to improve the quality of China’s economic development.