Energy Intensity Convergence Research Articles

Changes in the Energy Consumption in EU-27 Countries

Changes in the Energy Consumption in EU-27 CountriesThe complete decomposition method is applied to changes in energy consumption in the countries of EU-27. This method decomposes the changes in energy use into three different effects: a change in energy consumption due to an increase of economic activity (the activity effect), a change in energy consumption due to a relative increase of significance of a country in the group (the structure effect) and a change in energy consumption due to a change of energy efficiency measured as energy intensity (the intensity effect). The results confirm that there is a difference in development of these effects between the old (EU-15) and the new member countries. The results show that the activity effect is the most significant effect in old member countries (EU-15), and is on average 1.13 times higher than in new member countries. The intensity effect is the main diversifying factor between the two groups and the most significant effect for the new member countries. The intensity effect is almost universally negative in all countries, and compensates for the other effects. Because of the importance of the effect, energy intensity convergence is examined. It is found that even by the "rough"

The Convergence Analysis on the Economic Growth and Energy Intensity Gap between Regional Sectors

Abstract In this paper, the authors have analyzed the relationship between energy intensity gap and GDP per worker gap of China’s western and eastern provinces over the period 1997–2006. Using panel data model with lag adjustment, taking the above provinces and six industrial sectors (agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries, industry, construction industry, transport, storage and post & telecommunications, wholesale and retail trades & catering industry, and other sectors of tertiary industry.) as the investigated subjects, the authors have conducted empirical study on the convergence of GDP per worker gap and the convergence of energy intensity gap with respect to the variation of GDP per worker gap, and have concluded that: First, the GDP per worker gap of the six industrial sectors and provinces are convergent, and of this, the convergence rate of GDP per worker gap of Construction Industry is the fastest, while that of Industry is the slowest. Second, the overall energy intensity gap between eastern and western provinces is convergent, that is, with the narrowing of GDP per worker gap between eastern and western provinces, the energy intensity gap converges, but its convergence rate is slower than that of GDP per worker gap. Third, energy intensity gap between various industrial sectors of the east and the west is either convergent or divergent, and there are differences. The energy intensity gap of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries, industry, and construction industry is convergent, while that of the other three industrial sectors is divergent. Fourth, the convergence of the overall energy intensity of the western provinces is not in conformity with the convergence of the various industrial sectors, and there are significant differences, indicating that the western provinces and autonomous regions should take measures to more effectively improve their overall energy utilization efficiency at the industrial sector level.

Revisiting world energy intensity convergence for regional differences

World convergence in energy intensity is revisited using two new large data sets: a 111-country sample spanning 1971–2006, and a 134-country sample spanning 1990–2006. Both data sets confirm continued convergence. However, the larger data set, which adds the former Soviet Union republics and additional Balkan countries, indicates greater convergence over its more recent time-frame. Further investigation of geographical differences reveals that the OECD and Eurasian countries have shown considerable, continued convergence, while the Sub-Saharan African countries have converged amongst themselves, but at a slower rate than the OECD and Eurasian countries; by contrast, Latin American and Caribbean and Middle East and North African countries have exhibited no convergence to divergence in energy intensity.

Electricity intensity convergence in IEA/OECD countries: Aggregate and sectoral analysis

Convergence in electricity intensity is analyzed among a sample of IEA countries. Sigma-convergence (the narrowing of the distribution) and to a lesser degree gamma-convergence (movement within the distribution) are detected. However, electricity intensity convergence is less dramatic than energy intensity convergence. Convergence within the end-use sectors is more diverse: in terms of the rates, timing, extent, and ultimate modal structure of the distributions. Commercial electricity intensity has more recently converged toward a bell-shape distribution. By contrast, industry electricity intensity is largely converging toward two distinct groups of countries: one with relatively high electricity intensity and another one with relatively low electricity intensity. Different still is related residential electricity consumption per capita where a small group of countries has stopped growing; another group has slowed considerably, while a third group experienced rapid growth.