Evaluating the energy ecological efficiency under the context of interregional power transmission in China

Against the backdrop of extensive interregional power transmission in China, adjusting power distribution patterns emerges as a crucial avenue for regulating carbon emissions and attaining ecological efficiency for energy utilization. Based on the actual situations of power departments in provinces across China, this paper constructs an advanced data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach by considering the shift in emissions from power transmission and its consequential effects on efficiency values. It aims to assess the phased energy ecological efficiency under current power distribution patterns and technological conditions, calculate the potential for carbon emissions reductions, and scrutinize the factors that influence the efficiency scores. The empirical research presented in the present paper leverages a dataset encompassing statistical data from 30 provinces across China during 2017 to 2021, yielding four findings: (1) the West–East power transmission model in China essentially shifts carbon emissions to western regions at the expense of economic development in eastern regions; (2) the Chinese power system needs to adjust its existing power distribution patterns to lower current carbon emissions levels; (3) harnessing the southwest regions' clean energy assets through power distribution transfers can reduce carbon emissions by approximately 7.4 %; (4) energy prices have a significantly negative impact on power efficiency, as indicated by the empirical results of factor analysis. This last finding has implications for policymakers, suggesting that power efficiency can be enhanced by lowering energy prices.