Unveiling the mechanisms: How does the new energy demonstration city pilot policy affect urban energy efficiency? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Provides a rigorous quasi-experimental design for evaluating energy efficiency policies, useful for empirical researchers in energy and environmental economics.

🏢実務担当者:City-level policymakers can draw lessons on policy design and implementation, particularly the importance of local adaptation and spillover effects.

🏛政策担当者:Highlights the effectiveness of targeted demonstration policies and the roles of innovation and governance, informing national energy strategy.

新能源示范城市（NEDC）试点项目是中国推动可持续和高质量发展的一项关键战略举措。分析该政策的影响并利用其促进社会经济绿色转型，以实现碳达峰和碳中和的双碳目标，势在必行。基于2008—2022年中国253个地级市的面板数据，采用双重差分（DID）模型并进行一系列稳健性检验，证明NEDC试点政策显著提升了能源效率（EE）。具体而言，该政策使能源效率提高了0.15个单位。我们的分析识别出该政策提升能源效率的三条主要渠道：绿色技术创新、结构转型升级以及政府治理。特别是，NEDC政策对政府财政支持和环境监管均产生了显著的积极影响。异质性分析显示，东部和西部地区、非资源型城市以及直辖市或副省级城市中的效应最为显著。因此，有效实施需要因地制宜的策略。进一步分析证实，NEDC试点项目存在正向的空间溢出效应。由此可见，新能源示范城市政策的有效性因地区、城市类型和行政级别而异。因此，更有必要依靠绿色技术创新、产业转型和政府引导的协同推进，同时充分利用城市间的溢出效应，确保示范经验惠及更广泛的区域。

AI 翻訳（deepseek-v4-flash）。 正確を期す場合は下の原文を参照してください。

The pilot program of new energy demonstration cities (NEDC) is a key strategic measure for China to promote sustainable and high-quality development. It is imperative to analyze this policy’s impact and leverage it to foster a green transition of the socio-economy to realize the dual carbon goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Based on panel data from 253 prefecture-level cities in China spanning 2008–2022, the difference-in-differences (DID)model is employed and a series of robustness checks are conducted to demonstrate that the NEDCpilot policy has significantly improved energy efficiency (EE). Specifically, thepolicy results in a gain of 0.15 units in energy efficiency.Our analysis identifies three primary channels through which the policy enhances EE: green technological innovation, structural transformation and upgrading, and government governance. In particular, the NEDC policy exerts a marked positive impact on both government fiscal support and environmental regulation.Heterogeneity analysis reveals the strongest effects in the eastern and western regions, non-resource-based cities, and municipalities or sub-provincial cities.Consequently, effective implementation calls for strategies that are adapted to local conditions.Further analysis confirms the presence of positive spatial spillover effects from the NEDC pilot program.Therefore, the effectiveness of the New Energy Demonstration City policy varies across regions, city types, and administrative levels. It is thus more necessary to rely on the synergistic promotion of green technology innovation, industrial transformation, and government guidance, while making good use of inter-city spillover effects to ensure that the demonstration experience benefits a wider range of areas.

• openalex https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2026.109538first seen 2026-07-13 06:22:21