Evaluation and obstacle diagnosis to renewable energy development: A multi-level framework with application to China

Evaluating renewable energy development (RED) is critical for countries pursuing Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) and climate targets. However, existing studies primarily focus on either national-level evaluations or isolated regional analyses, overlooking multi-level evaluations that simultaneously examine both national and sub-national levels along with systematic obstacle diagnostics that are essential for large, diverse countries with significant regional heterogeneity. To address these deficiencies, this study develops a multi-level framework applicable to countries with diverse regional characteristics. Initially, an evaluation indicator system is constructed based on sustainable development and technological innovation theories. Secondly, an incomplete data imputation algorithm and combined weights are proposed to tackle the challenges posed by incomplete indicator data during the evaluation process. Thirdly, an improved technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) model is employed to evaluate the temporal evolution, development comparison, and spatial distribution of RED at multiple administrative levels, with an obstacle degree model applied to diagnose regional barriers. The framework is demonstrated through application to China’s national and provincial levels from 2016 to 2020. Additionally, sensitivity analysis confirms the applicability and flexibility of the proposed method across different parameter settings. The findings reveal temporal patterns of initial growth followed by decline, significant regional heterogeneity in development trajectories across administrative units, and technological obstacles as common challenges across diverse regions. The framework provides valuable implications for various stakeholders, including policymakers, energy planners, and industry practitioners, supporting the advancement of RED in countries with complex multi-level governance structures pursuing SDG 7 goals.