Regional Energy Structure Research Articles

Fiscal decentralization and the transformation of regional energy structures in China: Spatial spillover effects and the mediating role of technological innovation

The transformation of regional energy structures plays a pivotal role in enhancing ecological quality and advancing national green development efficiency. However, this transformation is characterized by dual externalities, necessitating governmental intervention to rectify market failures. Therefore, this study focuses on the critical influence and mechanisms through which local governments affect regional energy structure transformation, particularly within the context of China's unique fiscal decentralization. This study explores the impact of fiscal decentralization on the transformation of China's regional energy structures and its spatial correlations. Employing a bidirectional fixed-effect model and a spatial Durbin model, we analyze Chinese provincial panel data from 2002 to 2021 to explore the effects of fiscal decentralization on regional energy structure transformation and its spatial spillover. Findings reveal that fiscal decentralization significantly enhances the efficiency of regional energy structure transformation, with an effect coefficient of 0.127. Additionally, the fiscal decentralization mechanism positively influences spatial spillover effects on regional energy transformation, with these effects becoming more pronounced alongside higher degrees of economic agglomeration. Moreover, local governments are found to foster regional scientific and technological innovation, thereby facilitating adjustments in the regional industrial structure and promoting energy structure transformation. The intermediary effect test highlights the role of local governments in promoting scientific and technological advancements that drive industrial restructuring and energy transformation. The study recommends for a long-term strategy to balance central and local financial development, aiming to enhance the efficiency of regional energy structure transformation. These findings offer a theoretical foundation and policy recommendations for optimizing and transforming energy structures in pursuit of China's green and high-quality development goals. These findings offer globally relevant insights into leveraging fiscal decentralization for energy structure transformation, supporting sustainable development and green growth worldwide.

The influence of carbon emission trading on the optimization of regional energy structure

The optimization of the energy structure is a crucial element in the development of green and low-carbon economies and societies. Market-based environmental regulations, such as carbon emissions trading, play a significant role in facilitating this transition. This study analyzes panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2007 to 2020. It empirically examines the impact and mechanism of carbon emissions trading pilot schemes on the transformation of energy consumption structure at the macro level, using the difference-in-differences method. The research findings indicate that provinces with carbon emissions trading pilots have experienced significant reductions in carbon emissions and carbon intensity, demonstrating clear emission reduction effects. Additionally, the transformation process of energy consumption structure has been notably accelerated, highlighting the correlation between initial carbon emissions trading and the regional energy utilization framework. Furthermore, in our extended mechanism analysis, we introduce two new variables - green finance and environmental regulation. Our analysis reveals that the level of green finance in carbon emissions trading pilot provinces significantly influences the degree of carbon emissions in these areas. Additionally, environmental regulation has a significant positive impact on the optimization of energy consumption structure.

Spatial Distribution and Sources of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediments from Dachan Bay, Shenzhen City

The study investigated the composition and content of Σ15PAH in the surface and core sediments from Dachan Bay (DCB) in Shenzhen city and discussed the effects of urban development and regional energy structure on the marine environment through the spatial distribution, vertical profile, and sources of Σ15PAH. The results indicated that the concentrations of Σ15PAH in the sediments of DCB ranged between 299 ng/g and 2336 ng/g in the surface sediments and between 65 ng/g and 994 ng/g in the core sediments. The horizontal spatial distribution of PAHs content with decreasing concentrations from the coastal to central areas implied the land-based input of PAHs. The vertical profile of high PAHs concentration in 0 cm–60 cm suggested that the PAHs pollution is attributed to the urban development of Shenzhen since 1950, especially after the 1980s. According to features of the low molecular weight (LMW)/high molecular weight (HMW), PAHs diagnostic ratios and their relationships with total organic carbon (TOC) and oil, the pyrogenic PAHs were mainly from the combustion of petroleum and byproducts in the surface and 0 cm–60 cm sediments but from the combustion of biomass in 60 cm–190 cm sediments, which corresponded with the variation of energy structure in surrounding areas. This study suggested that urban development and regional energy structure have a great impact on PAHs distribution in DCB and further controls of land-based pollutant emissions are still needed.

Carbon-free energy optimization in intelligent communities considering demand response

With the gradual improvement in people’s quality of life, intelligent communities are received widespread attention and research. However, the massive use of various smart appliances causes a rapid increase in energy demand and carbon emissions. Therefore, in this paper, the novel carbon-free energy optimization method under the designed energy structure suitable for an intelligent community is proposed to deal with energy depletion and environmental pollution. First, the energy supply side makes full use of clean energy generation technologies to provide users with adequate energy, which is composed of photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT) and hydrogen steam turbines. Second, considering the demand response (DR) of the load side, household appliances are modeled according to the working characteristics. Then, the energy treatment mode of renewable energy sources (RESs) grid-connected reverse transmission is changed. The power to hydrogen (P2H) technology is introduced into the energy structure of intelligent residential quarters to increase the proportion of hydrogen energy in the region. Moreover, the energy storage device and electrification technology are combined to realize the production and application of regional hydrogen and achieve the goal of non-carbonization of regional energy structure. Finally, in simulation part, the optimal solution in the scheduling cycle is obtained by YALMIP solver, and time-of-use (TOU) electricity prices are used to calculate the final electricity cost. It is displayed that carbon emissions and energy consumption cost can be reduced, and the pressure of peak power consumption relieved based on the designed non-carbonization energy structure and energy optimization method.

Research on Carbon Emission Efficiency Measurement and Regional Difference Evaluation of China’s Regional Transportation Industry

From a global perspective, carbon emissions are a global problem that needs to be solved urgently. At present, 61% of countries have committed to achieving net zero emissions. Compared with industry and construction, the transportation sector has become the focus and challenge for countries to achieve carbon neutrality due to the characteristics of strong mobility, scattered emission sources, and complex social behaviors. Therefore, the issue of carbon emissions in the transportation industry has become the focus of academic attention. This paper first calculates the carbon emission efficiency (CEE) of the regional transportation industry through the super-efficiency SBM model and then evaluates its regional differentiation characteristics through the Theil index, which has important practical significance for reducing regional carbon emissions. The results show that the national transportation CEE average value is 0.612, a relatively low level. The spatial distribution of China’s transportation CEE shows an obvious characteristic of “east highest and west lowest”. The regional differences in the transportation industry CEE are larger than those between regions. The differences in the transportation industry CEE among the eastern, central, and western regions are on the downward trend as a whole, and intra-regional differences are greater than inter-regional. The intra-regional differences cause the overall differences in transportation industry CEE; the eastern region contributed the most to the Theil index, while the central contributed the least. The biggest factor affecting the transportation industry CEE is the regional energy structure, and the smallest factor is the per capita GDP. This research has important reference significance on the target of carbon neutrality.

The Estimation of Geothermal Reservoir Temperature Based on Integrated Multicomponent Geothermometry: A Case Study in the Jizhong Depression, North China Plain

The coal-dominated energy structure in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region has caused serious air pollution and contradicts the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system. Substituting geothermal energy for fossil energy such as coal can effectively alleviate this problem. Located in the hinterland of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Jizhong Depression is rich in geothermal resources and has great development potential, though the degree of current development and utilization is not high. Vigorously developing geothermal energy can not only effectively alleviate the air pollution problem in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, but also optimize the regional energy structure. Geothermal reservoir temperature determines the development and utilization value of geothermal resources, and accurate evaluation of the geothermal reservoir temperature of geothermal resources can provide a reliable basis for the subsequent development of geothermal resources in the Jizhong Depression. Aiming at the commonly used sandstone geothermal reservoir and carbonate geothermal reservoir in the Jizhong Depression, this paper collected 24 sandstone geothermal reservoir geothermal fluids and 14 carbonate geothermal reservoir geothermal fluids in the central-southern area of the Jizhong Depression and a water chemistry test was carried out. According to the test results of water chemistry, the temperature of the geothermal reservoir is estimated by using the cation geothermometer, the SiO2 geothermometer and the multi-mineral equilibrium method, and it is compared with the actual temperature measurement results of the boreholes. The results show that the direct use of a geothermal geothermometer for calculation will cause large errors. Through water–rock balance analysis, the use of a Na-K-Mg balance diagram, SiO2 and 1000/T relationship diagram and Na/K and 1000/T relationship diagram can determine whether the geothermal fluid is suitable for the geothermometer, which can effectively reduce the error. The chalcedony geothermometer in the central and southern part of the Jizhong Depression is the most suitable. The multi-mineral balance method, the Na-K geothermometer and the K-Mg geothermometer have also achieved good results, while the quartz and Na-K-Ca geothermometers are not suitable for the south-central Jizhong Depression area.

Charging and Discharging Strategies for Clustered Regional Energy Storage System

Abstract With the massive expansion of decentralised renewable energy in electricity grid networks, the power supply system has been changed from centralised to decentralised one and from directional to bi-directional one. However, due to the regional energy structure difference in the power imbalance between electricity generation and consumption is becoming more and more serious. A grid-scale energy storage system (ESS) can be one solution to balance the local difference. In this paper, two charging/discharging strategies for the grid-scale ESS were proposed to decide when and with how much power to charge/discharge the ESS. In order to realise the two strategies, this paper focuses on the application of fuzzy logic control system. The proposed strategies aim to reduce the peak power generation, consumption and the grid fluctuation. In particular, this paper analysis the ratio between energy-capacity and rated power of ESS. The performance of the proposed strategies is evaluated from two aspects, the normalised power of ESS itself and the influence on the power grid. Simulation studies were carried out on the rule-based control systems with different energy-to-power (e2p) ratios, and the results show that the proposed charging strategy with combination of extreme situation of power imbalance and the rest capacity of ESS provides a smooth load curve for the regional power grid system while the external power exchange is reduced effectively.

A 110 Year Sediment Record of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Related to Economic Development and Energy Consumption in Dongping Lake, North China.

A sedimentary record of the 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollutants from Dongping Lake, north China, is presented in this study. The influence of regional energy structure changes for 2–6-ring PAHs was investigated, in order to assess their sources and the impact of socioeconomic developments on the observed changes in concentration over time. The concentration of the ΣPAH16 ranged from 77.6 to 628.0 ng/g. Prior to the 1970s, the relatively low concentration of ΣPAH16 and the average presence of 44.4% 2,3-ring PAHs indicated that pyrogenic combustion from grass, wood, and coal was the main source of PAHs. The rapid increase in the concentration of 2,3-ring PAHs between the 1970s and 2006 was attributed to the growth of the urban population and the coal consumption, following the implementation of the Reform and Open Policy in 1978. The source apportionment, which was assessed using a positive matrix factorization model, revealed that coal combustion was the most important regional source of PAHs pollution (>51.0%). The PAHs were mainly transported to the site from the surrounding regions by atmospheric deposition rather than direct discharge.

Subsidies, Clean Heating Choices, and Policy Costs: Evidence from Rural Households in Northern China

Clean heating renovation is important for optimizing the regional energy structure and improving the quality of the atmospheric environment in Northern China. According to survey data of 1298 rural households in the “coal-to-gas” reform in Hengshui of Hebei Province, in this paper, we construct a clean heating subsidy model which focuses on clean heating choices, the reburning rate, and the subsidy cost. The key parameters affecting farmers’ choice of clean heating, including the lifeline, classification of rural households, and gas price elasticity, are estimated. Furthermore, we simulate changes between the existing and new subsidy policies, including the impact on the welfare of rural residents. We present the following findings: (1) under the current subsidy standard, the level of gas heating lifeline in Hengshui is 700 m3, the proportion of low-gas-consumption households is approximately 47.38%, and the reburning rate ranges from 47.38% to 63.80%; (2) under a new subsidy standard which we designed to ensure that households will not reburn the coal, the optimal subsidy value is 1.23 CNY/m3, the optimal subsidy volume is 970 m3, and the total subsidy demonstrates an increase of 46.21%; and (3) the government’s subsidy standards should focus on low-income households.

Estimating the remaining atmospheric environmental capacity using a single-box model in a high pollution risk suburb of Chengdu, China

The atmospheric pollution has been the public attention in recent years. In order to better coordinate economic development and atmospheric environmental management, China introduced the concept of atmospheric environmental capacity (AEC). The remaining atmospheric environmental capacity (RAEC) calculated by existing atmospheric pollution sources and AEC is an important basis for regional development and environmental protection. The RAEC of the high-pollution risk suburb of Chengdu in 2015 was estimated by the single-box model and analyzed on multiple time scales. The results show that the RAEC of SO2 and NO2 in this region is 3299 t/a and 2849 t/a, respectively under the annual time scale. However, in the daily time scale, the RAEC of NO2 is negative for 3 days, that is, there are 3 days with serious air pollution. Therefore, it is not appropriate to plan the industrial area only by relying on annual RAEC. Especially, RAEC displays inter-seasonal and monthly variability. On the one hand, in plain areas with low wind speed and little change in wind direction, achieving the prediction of atmospheric mixing layer height could give early warning of atmospheric pollution events. On the other hand, different management measures are taken on different time scales. On a long timescale, the regional energy structure should be optimized. On seasonal and monthly time scales, the production plans should be adapted to RAEC. On the daily time scale, it mainly deals with the serious atmospheric pollution accident timely.

Exploring China's 21-year PM10 emissions spatiotemporal variations by DMSP-OLS nighttime stable light data

With the rapid growth of economy and urbanization rate, haze pollution is becoming more and more serious in China, and it is harmful to human health and China's sustainable development. For exploring spatiotemporal variations of PM10 pollution problem from 1992 to 2012 in China, we first proved that there existed a positive correlation between the intercalibrated Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS) sensor nighttime stable light (NSL) data and PM10 emissions in this study. Then linear regression analysis was utilized to model spatiotemporal PM10 emission variations in China by the intercalibrated DMSP-OLS NSL data. PM10 emissions at prefectural level were selected as validation data for verifying the accuracy of spatiotemporal PM10 emissions variations and the results demonstrated that the DMSP-OLS NSL data can simulate PM10 emissions at 1 km resolution well. At last, spatiotemporal PM10 emission dynamics were analyzed from national scale down to regional and urban agglomeration scales. The results clearly noticed that the variations of PM10 emissions in different regions and urban agglomerations were different. The high-growth type of PM10 emissions was mainly located in the Eastern region, Central region, Western region, Shandong Peninsula, Wuhan Metropolitan Area and Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan, with significant lower concentrations in the Northeastern region, Middle south of Liaoning and Pearl River Delta. The high grade of PM10 emissions was mainly distributed in the Eastern region, Central region and Shandong Peninsula, with significant lower concentrations in the Western region, Northeastern region, Sichuan-Chongqing. Considering the difference of temporal and spatial variations of PM10 emissions in the four regions, the mitigation strategy in the Eastern and Central China should mainly focus on the adjustment of industrial structure, while in Western and Northern China, we should pay attention to the improvement and optimization of regional energy structure and energy efficiency.

GHG-mitigation oriented and coal-consumption constrained inexact robust model for regional energy structure adjustment – A case study for Jiangsu Province, China

Abstract Resources and environmental crises are involved in energy management system, confronting a larger amount of coal consumption and GHG emission during structure adjustment plan making in China. In this study, a GHG-mitigation oriented and coal-consumption constrained inexact robust energy system management model is developed for adjusting regional power structure and analyzing the effects of different policy instruments on the performance of power system. The proposed model is a hybrid methodology of interval two-stage stochastic programming and stochastic robust programming. It can handle uncertainties presented as discrete intervals and probability distributions, and reflect the tradeoff between system costs and the tractability under different policy scenarios. The proposed model was applied to a case study of Jiangsu Province, a developed region within the total coal consumption control pilot area of China. The results revealed that ambitious carbon emission and coal consumption reduction targets would promote the utilization and development of renewable energy. Stricter carbon emission caps were shown to be more efficient than coal consumption cap policies for encouraging investment in renewable energy generation, especially wind power. If over 15% carbon emission reduction target was carried out, the recent coal consumption control policy would have little impact on the electricity system development.

An inexact cost-risk balanced model for regional energy structure adjustment management and resources environmental effect analysis-a case study of Shandong province, China

Energy structure adjustment is a significant way to resolve constrained resources and environment, improve the security of energy supply, and achieve sustainable development, which is a complicated itself but further challenged by existence of uncertainties. In this study, an inexact multistage stochastic cost-risk balanced programming model is developed for energy system management under considering the policies of coal-consumption control and pollutants emission reduction. The method is an integration of inexact multistage stochastic programming and a risk management tools from modern financial theory, and could tackle uncertainties described as interval values and probability distributions. The method could reflect energy system dynamic characteristic in a multi-period problem, and provide an effective linkage between conflicting economic cost and the system stability. The proposed method is applied to a real case of planning electric power structure adjustment in Shandong province, China, where the energy system is faced with lots of difficulties complexities in electric power structure adjustment. The impact of coal-consumption control level and pollutants emission reduction scenarios on energy system structure adjustment, and resources and environmental effect were compared and analyzed. The results are valuable for supporting the adjustment or justification of the existing power generation schemes of the complicated regional energy system.

Sources and mass inventory of sedimentary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Thailand: Implications for pathways and energy structure in SE Asia

Surface sediments obtained from a matrix of 92 sample sites in the Gulf of Thailand (GOT) were analyzed for a comprehensive study of the distribution, sources, and mass inventory of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to assess their input pathways and impacts of the regional land-based energy structure on the deposition of PAHs on the adjacent continental margins. The concentration of 16 PAHs in the GOT ranged from 2.6 to 78.1ng/g (dry weight), and the mean concentration was 19.4±15.1ng/g. The spatial distribution pattern of 16 PAH was generally consistent with that of sediment grain size, suggesting the influence of regional hydrodynamic conditions. Correlation and principal component analysis of the PAHs indicated that direct land-based inputs were dominantly responsible for the occurrence of PAHs in the upper GOT and the low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs in the coastal region could be from petrogenic sources. A positive matrix factorization (PMF) model apportioned five contributors: petroleum residues (~44%), biomass burning (~13%), vehicular emissions (~11%), coal combustion (~6%), and air–water exchange (~25%). Gas absorption may be a significant external input pathway for the volatile PAHs in the open GOT, which further implies that atmospheric loading could be important for the sink of PAHs in the open sea of the Southeast Asia (SE Asia). The different PAH source patterns obtained and a significant disparity of PAH mass inventory in the sediments along the East and Southeast Asia continental margins can be ascribed mainly to different land-based PAH emission features under the varied regional energy structure in addition to the depositional environment and climatic conditions.

Development of an integrated optimization method for analyzing effect of energy conversion efficiency under uncertainty – A case study of Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, China

In this study, a superiority–inferiority full-infinite mixed-integer programming (SFMP) method is developed for analyzing the effect of energy conversion efficiency under uncertainty. SFMP can effectively tackle uncertainties expressed as fuzzy sets, crisp intervals and functional intervals, it also can directly reflect relationships among multiple fuzzy sets through varying superiority and inferiority degrees with a high computational efficiency. Then the developed SFMP is applied to a real case of planning energy system for Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, where multiple scenarios related to different energy-conversion efficiency are concerned. Results for energy processing, energy conversion, capacity expansion, pollutant emission and system cost have been generated. It is proved that SFMP is an effective approach to deal with the uncertainties in energy systems with interactive and uncertain characteristics. A variety of uncertainties existed in energy conversion processes and impact factors could affect the modeling result. Results show that improvement of energy-conversion efficiency can effectively facilitate reducing energy resources consumption, optimizing energy generation pattern, decreasing capacity expansion, as well as mitigating pollutant emissions. Results also reveal that, for the study area, electric power has a highest energy saving potential among heating, oil processing, coal washing and refining. Results can help decision makers to generate desired alternatives that can facilitate policy enactment of conversion efficiency improvement and adjustment of regional energy structure under uncertainty.

Measurement and scenario simulation of effect of urbanisation on regional CO2 emissions based on UEC-SD model: A case study in Liaoning Province, China

Based on the logical causal relationship and taking Liaoning Province, China, which is the Chinese traditional industrial base and is in the stage of accelerated urbanisation, as a case study, this study builds the ‘Urbanisation-Energy Consumption-CO2 Emissions System Dynamics (UEC-SD)’ model using a system dynamics method. The UEC-SD model is applied to analyse the effect of the urbanisation process on the regional energy structure and CO2 emissions, followed by simulation of future production and living energy consumption structure as well as the evolutionary trend of CO2 emissions of three urbanisation scenarios (low speed, intermediate speed and high speed) under the assumed boundary conditions in urban and rural areas of Liaoning Province, China. The results show that the urbanisation process can alter production and the living energy consumption structure and thereby change regional CO2 emissions. An increase in the urbanisation rate in case area will lead to regional CO2 emissions rising in the short term, but when the urbanisation rate approaches 80%, CO2 emissions will reach a peak value and then decrease. Comparison of different urbanisation rates showed that production and living energy consumption exhibit different directions of change and rules in urban and rural areas. The effect of urbanisation on CO2 emissions and energy structure is not direct, and urbanisation can increase the differences in energy and CO2 emissions between urban and rural areas caused by the industrial structure, technical level and other factors.

Carbon and air pollutants constrained energy planning for clean power generation with a robust optimization model—A case study of Jining City, China

In this study, a multistage inexact stochastic robust model was developed for regional energy system management in Jining City, China. Three scenarios about the electric power structure adjustment, clean power generation, and the emission reduction target are designed. Methods of interval parameter programming (IPP), stochastic robust optimization (SRO), and multistage stochastic programming (MSP) were incorporated into the developed model to tackle uncertainties described by interval values and probability distributions. The results indicated that the model can provide an effective linkage between conflicting economic cost and the system stability, and different power demand levels correspond to different electricity generation schemes with varied system cost and system-failure risk. The net system cost, power generation schemes, exported electricity, and captured CO2 amount were analyzed. The results indicated that the power generation by traditional technology would be decreased with the improvement of regional energy structure adjustment and environmental protection request. The modeling results are valuable for supporting the adjustment or justification of the existing power generation schemes within a complicated energy system under uncertainty.

Scheme Optimization of Hot Water Heating Sources Based on Multi-Objective Fuzzy Decision

On account of regional energy structure optimization, scheme of hot water heating source is deeply studied. A comprehensive evaluation index system of heating source is established in terms of economic, energy efficiency, environmental protection, technology and policy. Combining the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and AHP, the optimal scheme is determined. The air-source water heater is the relatively satisfactory scheme. The research will have an important effect on a wide range of residential buildings in china, which is also in favor of optimizing regional energy supply structure. The conclusion will push related industry to be energy-saving, secure and sustainable, provide important theoretical basis for energy planning on decision-making of city development, and provides an important reference for engineering design.

ICCSIP: An Inexact Chance-Constrained Semi-infinite Programming Approach for Energy Systems Planning under Uncertainty

This article developed an inexact chance-constrained semi-infinite programming (ICCSIP) method for the energy management system under functional interval uncertainties. The approach not only considers the left-hand interval parameters, right-hand distribution information, and the probability of violating constraint, but also deals with functional interval uncertainty, which extends the range of the uncertainties. A regional energy management system is applied to illustrate the applicability of the ICCSIP approach. In consideration of energy sources allocation, fuel prices, and environmental regulations, a systematic planning of the regional energy structure is desired to bring a significant increase of economic benefit and improvement of environmental quality. This problem can be formulated as a programming model with an objective of minimizing the overall system costs subject to a number of environmental, economic and energy sources availability constraints. The programming results indicate that reasonable and useful decision alternatives can be generated under different probabilities of violating the system constraints. The obtained results are useful for decision makers to gain an insight into the tradeoffs among environmental, economic and system reliability criteria.

Development of East Siberian Gas Field and Pipeline to China: A Research Communication

Two American specialists on the energy resources of the former USSR survey and analyze the events leading to recent plans to develop an important East Siberian natural gas field and to construct the first export pipeline to the eastern coast of China. The paper discusses the history of the plans beginning in the Soviet period, the acquisition of development rights by a private Russian oil company, and the subsequent transfer of these rights during the industry's restructuring. The plans' development in 1997, shaped by issues relating to the regional energy structure as well as to the projected demand for gas in China and East Asia, is outlined in some detail. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: L71, L95, Q40. 2 maps, 13 references.