Does informatization alleviate energy poverty? A global perspective

Abstract

As one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals, energy poverty still plagues the whole world. In order to provide a possible solution to energy poverty from a new perspective, this study explores the impact of informatization on energy poverty based on panel data of 93 countries from 2010 to 2019. The principal component analysis method is used to construct an indicator of energy poverty that involves two dimensions, i.e., energy accessibility and energy affordability. The results show that global energy poverty has been generally alleviated, but polarization still exists. Informatization can effectively alleviate energy poverty, which remains robust after considering endogeneity. There is a U-shaped non-linear relationship between informatization and energy poverty, and informatization is more effective for severe energy poverty. Moreover, informatization has a greater impact on non-OECD countries than on OECD countries. In addition, the impact of informatization is more significant in regions with lower government efficiency. Considering that informatization resources tend to concentrate in developed regions, the government should intervene appropriately in the distribution of informatization resources in less developed areas to harness the potential of informatization.