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The changes in coal intensity of electricity generation in Chinese coal-fired power plants

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  • Wang, Chunhua
  • Cao, Xiaoyong
  • Mao, Jie
  • Qin, Ping

Abstract

In recent years, the coal intensity of electricity generation and its change rate over time has varied significantly across coal-fired power plants in China. This paper decomposes the coal intensity change into four components: technological catch-up, technological progress, change in capital-coal ratio, and change in labor-coal ratio. We find that technological catch-up is the most important factor in decreasing mean coal intensity in the plants between 2009 and 2012. It is also the main driver of heterogeneity in coal intensity changes across different groups of the plants.

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  • Wang, Chunhua & Cao, Xiaoyong & Mao, Jie & Qin, Ping, 2019. "The changes in coal intensity of electricity generation in Chinese coal-fired power plants," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 491-501.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:80:y:2019:i:c:p:491-501
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2019.01.032
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    7. Du, Limin & Lu, Yunguo & Ma, Chunbo, 2022. "Carbon efficiency and abatement cost of China's coal-fired power plants," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    8. Eguchi, Shogo & Takayabu, Hirotaka & Lin, Chen, 2021. "Sources of inefficient power generation by coal-fired thermal power plants in China: A metafrontier DEA decomposition approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    9. Abdullah, Mohammad & Abakah, Emmanuel Joel Aikins & Wali Ullah, G M & Tiwari, Aviral Kumar & Khan, Isma, 2023. "Tail risk contagion across electricity markets in crisis periods," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(PB).
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Coal intensity; Electricity generation; Decomposition; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q40 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - General
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General

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