Empowering household energy transition: The impact of digital economy on clean energy use in rural China

While a growing line of research has explored the relationship between digital economy and energy transition, little is known about its potential to facilitate the energy transition in rural households. This study addresses this gap by examining how the development of digital economy influences clean energy use among rural households, using nationally representative household-level panel data from the China Family Panel Studies. Our findings reveal that digital economy promotes rural household energy transition, with higher levels of regional digital economy development significantly increasing the likelihood of clean energy use. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that this effect is especially pronounced for non-elderly, female-headed, and low-income households. Mechanism analysis suggests that digital economy facilitates clean energy use by enhancing the economic, social, and cultural capital of rural households. These findings highlight the need for governments to prioritize improving digital infrastructure in rural areas, promoting rural household capital accumulation through digital participation, and addressing behavioral barriers to clean energy adoption, in order to accelerate progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 for affordable and clean energy.