Driving Factors for the Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity in Technical Efficiency of China’s New Energy Industry

The new energy industry (NEI) is key to achieving a clean and low-carbon economy. Improving its technical efficiency, factor reflecting the ability of an enterprise or produce maximum economic outputs from given set inputs production technologies, vital for healthy development NEI. Nevertheless, due fragmentation data, it still difficult accurately measure efficiency China’s NEI understand driving factors behind it. Based on panel data derived 17,457 observations enterprises in 29 Chinese provinces during 1998 2013 (latest available), this paper uses envelopment analysis (DEA) geographically temporally weighted regression (GTWR) first time investigate spatiotemporal characteristics results show that was relatively low increased modestly 0.44 0.52 2013. Exploring reasons perspective heterogeneity, we find scale technological progress are major increasing NEI’s efficiency. However, role improving has gradually disappeared. Moreover, negative effect state-owned becomes increasingly obvious. resources negligible. Our main contribution which measured at provincial level explored by considering heterogeneity. Accordingly, put forward some specific recommendations improve