How renewable energy technological innovation promotes renewable power generation: Evidence from China's provincial panel data.

The effect of technological innovation on renewable energy development has drawn attention from scholars and policymakers. Based on a panel dataset covering 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2017, the present study aims to examine how renewable energy technological innovation (RETI), represented by patent stock considering the decay and diffusion of renewable energy technologies, promotes renewable power generation (RPG) by nonspatial and spatial econometric models. The results indicate that 1) a 1% increase in the RETI level of a particular province, on average, leads to a 0.411% increase in RPG in that province directly and a 3.264% increase in RPG in its neighboring provinces through technology diffusion; 2) the effect of RETI on RPG will be underestimated by 12.7% if the decay and diffusion of technologies are not considered; 3) the estimation coefficients of RETI are insufficiently sensitive to the values of the decay and diffusion rates; 4) spatial dependence plays a vital role in exploring the impact of RETI on RPG, and this impact will be underestimated by 34.3% if spatial dependence is ignored. • Renewable energy technological innovation (RETI) contributes to renewable power generation. • Indirect effect of RETI on renewable power generation is 8 times greater than direct effect. • Coefficients can be underestimated if technological decay and diffusion are not considered. • Effect of innovation is not sensitive to the decay or diffusion rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]