Research on the Effect of Clean Energy Technology Diffusion on Energy Poverty

Yuan Jiang, Weidong Wang, Mengyuan Yang (), Yahya Njie and Xiaonan Wang
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Yuan Jiang: School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Weidong Wang: School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Mengyuan Yang: School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Yahya Njie: School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Xiaonan Wang: School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-19

Abstract: Addressing energy poverty is integral to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and clean energy technology serves as an essential tool in mitigating this issue. Existing studies pay less attention to the correlation between the two. In this study, we quantify the spread of clean energy technology using patent citation information and analyze balanced panel data from 30 provinces in China spanning the years 2004 to 2019. The findings reveal that the diffusion of clean energy technology not only directly reduces energy poverty but also indirectly alleviates it by enhancing energy efficiency and fostering employment. However, the positive impact of technology on poverty is affected by human capital. Specifically, when the number of college students per 10,000 people in a province surpasses 179, technology diffusion becomes effective in alleviating energy poverty. Furthermore, the efficacy of this mitigation varies significantly based on different regions. Technologies originating from developed economies such as the United States, Japan, and the European Union exhibit a more substantial impact than domestic alternatives. Additionally, the effect of alleviating energy poverty is more significant in the eastern region. Therefore, we make policy recommendations for alleviating energy poverty through the use of incentive policies, exploring differentiated models of clean energy technology development, and strengthening international cooperation.

Keywords: energy poverty; clean energy; technology diffusion; threshold regression model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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