What drives the GHG emission changes of the electric power industry in China? An empirical analysis using the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index method

The electric power industry has often been considered one of the key sectors for energy-saving and emission reduction. It is important to explore the main factors driving the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission changes of this industry. This study applies the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition method to analyze disparities in the driving forces from national and regional perspectives. In addition to the factors related to the generation sector, this study puts forward the concepts of power self-sufficiency ratio and available-to-consumed ratio to indicate the influence of factors related to the transmission and distribution sector. The results show that economic activity was the main factor promoting the growth of GHG emissions; the power intensity of gross domestic product (GDP) and population change had smaller promotional effects at the national level; the generation structure and the energy intensity of thermal power were two main contributors to inhibiting the growth of GHG emissions of the national power industry, but they had promotional effects in some provinces; and the energy mix of thermal power and the power self-sufficiency ratio contributed slightly to decreases in the GHG emissions of the power industry, despite their promotional effects in some provinces.