New energy technology innovation and energy poverty alleviation in China

Energy poverty has received attention, but in-depth research on the relationship between new energy technology innovation and energy poverty is lacking. Using data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2006 to 2020, we examine the impact of new energy technology innovation on energy poverty in China. We collect provincial-level patent data and energy poverty evaluation indicators, categorizing them into four subsystems: energy use level, energy capacity, energy use structure, and energy investment management. Findings indicates: (1) New energy technology innovation significantly alleviates energy poverty in China. This is primarily attributed to improvements in energy supply and residents' income. (2) The effectiveness of new energy technology innovations in alleviating energy poverty is enhanced by provincial transportation development and technology market activity but diminished by urbanization. (3) New energy technology innovations lead to notable increases in energy use level and energy capacity, a decrease in energy use structure, and no significant impact on energy investment management. (4) Innovations from enterprises, university and research institutes significantly contribute to alleviating China's energy poverty. However, innovations from industry-university-research collaborations and other innovators do not significantly affect China's energy poverty. Our findings provide valuable insights for theoretical research and energy poverty policy design.