ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Threshold Effect of Urbanization Level
on Household Energy Consumption
in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region
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Department of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University,
Baoding, Hebei, 071003, China
Submission date: 2020-06-22
Final revision date: 2020-11-29
Acceptance date: 2020-11-29
Online publication date: 2021-06-01
Publication date: 2021-07-29
Corresponding author
Jin Zhou
Department of Economics and Management, North China Electric Power University, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(5):4069-4083
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ABSTRACT
The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region is an important economic center of China but has the
problem of severe environmental pollution. Urbanization prompts the household energy consumption
growth and then deteriorates the environmental conditions in this region. Based on panel data of the
BTH region from 2000 to 2017, this research uses a dynamic threshold model with per capita disposable
income as the threshold variable to investigate the non-linear impact of urbanization on household
energy consumption. The empirical results show that: 1) In the process of urbanization, per capita
resident disposable income has a significant threshold effect on household energy consumption, and their
relationship presents an inverted U-shaped trend. 2) The change of household energy consumption habits
can significantly improve the household energy consumption level. 3) Industrial structure adjustment,
urban population density, and education level of residents have restraining effects on household energy
consumption growth. 4) Technical advance and GDP per capita growth opposite effects. The empirical
analysis also shows that the regional government can consider increasing the disposable income of the
residents in Hebei Province to alleviate the imbalance in energy consumption. At the same time, efforts
should be made to develop high-tech industries and high-end service industries, and adopt a more
intensive urban planning development model to increase urban population density.