Transregional electricity technologies and urban energy transitions: evidence from ultra-high voltage technology

Transregional energy infrastructure is widely employed globally as a critical mechanism for addressing imbalanced energy distribution. However, its specific role in facilitating the low-carbon energy transition (LCET) remains underexplored. Using city-level panel data from 2003 to 2019 and the rollout of China’s Ultra-High Voltage (UHV) electricity transmission projects, this study examines the effect of transregional energy infrastructure on urban LCET. Our findings demonstrate that UHV implementation significantly promotes city-level LCET. It achieves the LCET directly by increasing the share of renewable energy and reducing the share of fossil energy. Furthermore, it can also accelerate the city LCET process by promoting industrial structure advancement, industrial agglomeration as well as green technological innovation. The impact of UHV is more pronounced in cities characterized by advanced technology, developed service economies, high firm agglomeration, and strong governmental environmental concerns. Conversely, its effects are attenuated in cities that are energy-dependent and less developed. Additionally, we find that the impact of UHV on LCET exhibits a marked spatial spillover effect. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers formulating strategies to advance LCET and for planning energy infrastructure.