Decomposition of Industrial Electricity Efficiency and Electricity-Saving Potential of Special Economic Zones in China Considering the Heterogeneity of Administrative Hierarchy and Regional Location

Special Economic Zones (SEZs), an important engine of industrial economic development in China, consume large amounts of energy resources and emit considerable CO2. However, existing research pays little attention to industrial energy usage in SEZs and ignores the heterogeneity of administrative hierarchy and regional location. Considering the dual heterogeneity, this study proposes an improved two-dimension and two-level meta-frontier data envelopment analytical model to decompose the industrial electricity efficiency (IEE) and electricity-saving potential of SEZs in Guizhou Province, China, based on 4-year field survey data (2016–2019). Results show that the IEE rankings of three administrative hierarchies within SEZs are provincial administration SEZs, county administration SEZs, and municipality administration SEZs. The SEZs located in energy resource-rich areas and better ecological environmental areas have higher IEE than those in resource-poor areas and ecology fragile areas, respectively. This study can provide reference for policymakers to formulate effective policies for improving the electricity use efficiency of SEZs in China