An Analysis of Factors that Influence the Energy Efficiency of Chinese Coal-Fired Power Plants under Carbon Constraints

Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions without negatively influencing generating capacity is a dilemma for coal-fired power plants in China. On this issue, this passage adopts DEA model for the Chinese thermal power industry to explore the influence factors of energy efficiency and uses Logit econometric model to test. Results show that coal consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and Employee have significant influences on energy efficiency for coal-fired power plants; installed capacity has no effect on energy efficiency. Additionally, this passage finds that the efficiency of the eastern coastal areas is higher than the middle areas and western areas. Low pure technical efficiency leads to the low level of energy efficiency for thermal power plants in China. So it is important and necessary for China to promote the progress of technical innovation and the improvement of energy saving and emission reduction in thermal power plants.