Analysis of electricity consumption in China (1990–2016) using index decomposition and decoupling approach

Electricity consumption accounts for a significant portion of final energy consumption in countries worldwide and has a close relationship with economic growth. This paper explores the factors influencing electricity consumption in China during 1990–2016 using index decomposition analysis, and analyses the decoupling status between economic growth and electricity consumption, in addition to the influencing factors. These analyses are conducted at both national and sectoral levels. The results reveal that: (1) The economic activity effect was the main driving force increasing total electricity consumption in China, while the energy intensity effect hindered it. (2) Both diversity and aggregation existed at the sector level. The power generation, chemicals, and non-ferrous sectors were the top three contributors to increased electricity consumption. (3) The change of electricity consumption caused by GDP growth in China showed three decoupling states during 1990–2016: expansive negative decoupling, expansive coupling and weak decoupling. In particular, the energy intensity effect stimulated the occurrence of decoupling. (4) Industrial sectors played a significant role in decoupling in China, while service sectoral electricity consumption showed expansive coupling with its sectoral GDP in recent years.