The allometric growth relationship between electricity consumption and economics in China

Electric power is the basic industry of a modern country. The rapid development of the power industry has promoted economic development and social progress. With the establishment of the carbon neutrality target of carbon peak, China’s power industry is also facing new situations and new challenges. This paper innovatively introduces the concept of allometric growth in biology, and uses the data of provincial electricity consumption and economic development from 1972 to 2017, to study the allometric growth relationship between electricity consumption and economics in China at multiple scales. Combined with the spatial autocorrelation analysis method, the temporal and spatial characteristics of allometric growth between electricity consumption and economic development were researched based on the analysis of spatial correlation of GDP electricity consumption intensity. The results show that: (1) The provincial GDP electricity consumption intensity shows an aggregate distribution, and the local aggregate pattern changed significantly from 1972 to 2017. (2) The High-High Cluster gradually disappeared, and the Low-Low Cluster moved southward, appearing in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. (3) The differential growth coefficient of electricity consumption and economic development increased initially and decreased from 1972 to 2017. (4) GDP would increase by 7.4%, 20.1%, and 15.6% in the simulation of electricity consumption, increasing 10% at the three stages of China’s economic development. (5) The allometric growth coefficients of electricity consumption and economic development are very different in the three economic belts, eight economic zones, and provinces with different characteristics at the different stages of economic development. Formulating differentiated regulation policies for regional economic development and electricity consumption will be conducive to the coordinated development of electric power production and the national economy.