Research on Relationship Between Urbanization and Coal Consumption Based on Cluster Analysis Techniques

Abstract

Since the initiation of the reform and opening-up policy, urbanization in China has seen rapid growth. At the same, the consumption of coal has also been on the rise year by year. This study selects the coal consumption of 30 provinces as the research subject. By employing the cluster analysis method, this paper compares the coal consumption in different regions and summarizes the correlation between the level of urbanization and coal consumption. The research reveals a nonlinear correlation between coal consumption and the level of urbanization: at lower urbanization rates, there is a positive correlation between urbanization and coal consumption. However, once the urbanization rate reaches a certain threshold, the relationship becomes inversely correlated. This paper offers insights for addressing industrial relations and energy level regulation during the urbanization process.