ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The Potential of Electrifying China’s Energy Use:
an Analysis Based on STIRPAT Model
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Department of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, Baoding 071000, China
Submission date: 2020-04-09
Final revision date: 2020-08-31
Acceptance date: 2020-09-05
Online publication date: 2021-02-03
Publication date: 2021-03-08
Corresponding author
Yanmei Li
North China Electric Power University, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(3):2173-2189
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ABSTRACT
China’s State Grid Corporation proposed the implementation of „electrifying energy use“ strategy
in 2013, and strives to promote the use of electricity instead of coal and other fossil fuels in energy
consumption, and ultimately achieve a fundamental change in energy development. We use the Stochastic
Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) model to quantify the
potential of electrifying energy service in China. The extended STIRPAT model is applied to analyze
the relationship between electricity demand and the influential factors (e.g. population, economic
activity, electricity intensity, and energy structure). In order to effectively avoid multicollinearity
among variables, the regression coefficients are calculated by using the Partial Least Squares (PLS)
technique. Moreover, we use a hybrid model to project the Business as usual (BAU) development of
the above explanatory variables. We then develop three scenarios to project and analyze the future
potentials of electrification in China. From the projection results, the potential for electrification shows
a trend that the growth rate is slow at first but accelerates later. The governmental policy support
has the greatest impact on the potential for electrification, and the effect is most pronounced. The
influence of technological level on the potential of electrification is gradually weakening. When China‘s
economic growth slows down, the potential for growth in electrification will slow down, but the level of
technology will slow the trend of slowing growth in electrification potential. Finally, the sensitivity and
contribution of each factor are analyzed, based on which some suggestions to promote the development
of electrification are put forward.