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As one of the key projects of the top ten targeted poverty alleviation projects, Photovoltaic Poverty Alleviation Projects (PPAP) has played an important role in poverty alleviation and eliminating absolute poverty. This paper analyzes the impact of the PPAP on the consumption and poverty vulnerability of impoverished households and reveals the characteristics of the targetedness, effectiveness and sustainability of PPAP based on the data of the previous poverty-stricken households recorded in four townships in Wuwei County, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China. The results show that under the extreme poverty standard line, PPAP can significantly reduce the poverty vulnerability of impoverished households, and the effect of the PV poverty alleviation project has a strong sustainability; It has a significant heterogeneous impact on families of different poverty types, among which, it plays a significant role in alleviating the poverty vulnerability of impoverished households due to the loss of labor ability, and low-income families, with strong targetedness; For families with a high degree of vulnerability to poverty, the PPAP can significantly alleviate their vulnerability, indicating the effectiveness of PPAP to play a bottom-up role for the poor families. • Effect of China's Photovoltaic Poverty Alleviation Policy. • The targetedness, effectiveness, and sustainability of poverty reduction effects. • Micro-level statistical data obtained from on-site surveys on impoverished households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China still faces relatively serious energy poverty, and technological innovation is considered effective at alleviating this issue. This paper empirically investigates the impact of regional technological innovation on energy poverty based on panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2001 to 2020. This paper explores the effect of industrial structure distortion in the process of technological innovation on energy poverty. This paper conducts asymmetry analysis and investigates the heterogeneous impact of technological innovation on energy poverty in different areas. The research conclusions are as follows: (1) Regional technological innovation can effectively alleviate energy poverty. (2) Industrial structure distortion moderates the impact of technological innovation on energy poverty, and it weakens the effect of technological innovation in alleviating energy poverty, although the moderating effect is not significant in coal-producing regions. (3) The effect of technological innovation on alleviating energy poverty is more obvious in regions where energy poverty is prominent. (4) The role of technological innovation in alleviating energy poverty shows spatial heterogeneity, and this alleviation effect is more obvious in the western and non-coal producing regions. We also propose several policy implications for alleviating energy poverty. • Regional technological innovation can effectively alleviate energy poverty. • Industrial structure distortion moderates the impact of technological innovation on energy poverty. • Industrial structure distortion hinders the ability of technological innovation to alleviate energy poverty. • Technological innovation is more effective in alleviating energy poverty in regions where energy poverty is severe. • Technological innovation is more effective at alleviating energy poverty in the west and non-coal-producing regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two important goals of sustainable development, affordable and clean energy, and good health and well-being have attracted global attention. This study explores the nexus and impact pathways between energy poverty and farmers' health, defining energy poverty from a multidimensional perspective that includes cooking, washing, warming, cooling, showering, traveling, entertainment, education, and communication. A mixed approach is deployed by using 1016 survey data collected from the rural mountainous areas of China, where the probit model, ordinary least squares, and conditional mixed process estimation methods are used for model estimation. Results indicate that farmers' physical and mental health is significantly negatively affected by multidimensional energy poverty. Regards to the different dimensions of energy poverty, cooking energy and traveling energy have considerable negative impacts on farmers' health. In terms of population heterogeneity, multidimensional energy poverty has a worse effect on farmers' health in the empty-nest stage and on males. To alleviate multidimensional energy poverty and improve health, this study proposes targeted policy recommendations for domestic policymakers and can shed light on other developing economies facing similar challenges. • The average incidence of multidimensional energy poverty in study area is 32.48 %. • Multidimensional energy poverty negatively affects farmers' health. • Cooking and traveling energy have significant negative impacts on farmer' health. • The negative impact on farmer' health in empty-nest stage is greater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting energy system reform is an essential initiative to eradicate energy poverty (EP). However, industrial structure distortion (ISD) may hinder this process, thus potentially aggravating EP. This study aims to measure the impact of ISD on EP by using multiple panel econometric models. The results indicate that ISD significantly exacerbates EP in China. This impact is achieved by stimulating energy price increase, hindering the marketization process, and suppressing the rise in resident income. The estimation results of the Spatial Durbin Model show that EP in one region is influenced by its own ISD and the ISD of other regions. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the primary sector distortion has the greatest impact on EP, and the western region is more prone to EP. In addition, since the launch of the green credit guidelines in China, green finance has substantially contributed to EP eradication. This study helps China recognize the current obstacles in eradicating EP, and provide policy insights to global industrial restructuring. • Industrial structure distortion is an unfavorable factor for eradicating energy poverty. • Industrial structure distortion affects energy poverty through energy price, marketization and resident income. • The spatial spillover effect of industrial structure distortion on energy poverty is further explored. • Sectoral, spatial and temporal heterogeneity of industrial structure distortion on energy poverty are fully considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy poverty is a complex and multifaceted problem driven by many social factors outside the economic sphere, and it exists in both developed and developing countries. This study begins with a microscale measurement of the multidimensional energy poverty index and household social capital and investigates the impact of social capital on energy poverty, a topic hitherto neglected in the literature. The empirical analyses show that social capital positively impacts reducing energy poverty and serves as a complementary tool for economic development to reduce energy poverty. Additionally, the capital deficit and return deficit of social capital were found to coexist in households with higher levels of energy poverty, implying that its effect on reducing energy poverty is more advantageous to the "rich" than those with deeper energy poverty. Furthermore, the results are robust, whether it is the instrumental variable test, the replacement probit model, or the replacement index at the macro level. Social capital helps break the bottlenecks in energy requirements that may emerge with income growth, and its development has significant implications for tackling energy poverty. • Energy poverty and social capital are measured at the micro and macro levels. • Social capital is an effective instrument for reducing energy poverty. • The alleviation effect of social capital varies among economic status. • Results are robust to different regressions and measures of energy poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an innovation of the Chinese government energy policy, solar photovoltaic poverty alleviation projects (PPAPs) play a positive role in solving energy shortages and poverty reduction. However, there is limited research on energy poverty in China's PPAP areas. This study has proposed a three-dimensional theoretical model for energy poverty, evaluated the energy poverty in the PPAP areas and analyzed its influencing path. The results show that: (1) The implementation of PPAPs has improved energy poverty to various degrees in all three types of solar resource areas; (2) The availability of energy services is the most prominent problem in energy poverty, and the PPAPs improve the availability of energy services the most; (3) Farmers' economic status and education have the greatest impact on alleviating energy poverty, and (4) The PPAPs directly improve the availability of energy services by increasing power generation and stability of the grid, and indirectly affect the cleanliness of energy consumption and energy affordability through farmers per se, thus affecting local energy poverty. Thus, public policies for promoting clean energy and energy utilization technologies (such as solar PV, etc) would help alleviate energy poverty in the rural areas. [Display omitted] • Proposed a three-dimensional theoretical model for energy poverty. • Investigated the determinants of energy poverty in China's PPAP areas. • China's PPAPs have direct and indirect effects on local energy poverty. • Farmers' economic status and education are the most significant factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interpreting energy poverty in respect of lack of accessibility, availability, and affordability of energy resources, this study aims to explore the macroeconomic determinants of multidimensional energy poverty in China over the 2005Q1-2019Q4 period. Three weighted and one unweighted energy poverty indices are constructed to measure the incidence of energy poverty in China using relevant energy-related indicators that capture the accessibility, availability, and affordability dimensions of energy poverty. The overall results indicate that a 1% rise in the degrees of fiscal decentralization and country risks aggravates the energy poverty situation in the long run by reducing the energy poverty indices at most by 0.05% and 0.03%, respectively. In contrast, positive shocks to the levels of economic growth, renewable energy share, and technological innovation by 1% are evidenced to be associated with declines in the energy poverty indices in the long run at most by 0.43%, 0.18%, and 0.06%, respectively. Besides, the marginal impacts of these variables are seen to be comparatively larger for the composite energy poverty indices that emphasize more on the accessibility dimension of energy poverty in China. Based on these findings, greening the fiscal decentralization policies, lowering country risks, promoting economic growth, stimulating higher renewable energy use, and financing technological innovation are recommended for mitigating the incidence of energy poverty in China. These policies are also expected to assist China in partially achieving the Sustainable Development Goals agenda of the United Nations and enable the nation to attain its 2060 carbon neutrality target. • Nexus among fiscal decentralization and energy poverty has been examined. • Role of Composite risk and technological innovation is explored for energy poverty. • Data for China is used from 2005Q1-2019Q4. • Higher level of fiscal decentralization and country risks aggravate the energy poverty. • Growth, renewable energy and technological innovation mitigate energy poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]