• Energy Research
• Closed Access close
• Restricted close
• Embargo close
• 1. No poverty close
• PK close
• DK close

Abstract Theft of electricity is a problem in many developing countries. But AMI is paving the way for data-centric architecture to help in theft detection. However, a smart grid or even AMR is a long shot for many developing countries due to the costs involved in its large-scale deployment. This paper presents a technique to detect outliers among electricity users that further investigates electricity theft using data analytics on monthly usage data available to every utility company. Using this technique, we have reduced the search space for theft identification to as low as 3.4% of the total customer base.

Abstract Theft of electricity is a problem in many developing countries. But AMI is paving the way for data-centric architecture to help in theft detection. However, a smart grid or even AMR is a long shot for many developing countries due to the costs involved in its large-scale deployment. This paper presents a technique to detect outliers among electricity users that further investigates electricity theft using data analytics on monthly usage data available to every utility company. Using this technique, we have reduced the search space for theft identification to as low as 3.4% of the total customer base.

The upsurge in higher education is considered a key determinant for enhancing green growth. Moreover, ICT development is also the main catalyst of green growth. This research explores the role of higher education and ICT on green growth for China from 1995 to 2020. The study employs auto-regressive distributive lag (ARDL) approach for short-run and long-run estimates of green growth. The effect of higher education and ICT on green growth is significantly positive in the long run and short run. The outcomes of the empirical models reveal that financial inclusion is positively associated with green growth in both long run and short run. Moreover, renewable energy consumption is found to have a positive impact on green growth. The findings thus point to the need for policies that promote human capital and ICT infrastructure as a way of accelerating green growth.

The upsurge in higher education is considered a key determinant for enhancing green growth. Moreover, ICT development is also the main catalyst of green growth. This research explores the role of higher education and ICT on green growth for China from 1995 to 2020. The study employs auto-regressive distributive lag (ARDL) approach for short-run and long-run estimates of green growth. The effect of higher education and ICT on green growth is significantly positive in the long run and short run. The outcomes of the empirical models reveal that financial inclusion is positively associated with green growth in both long run and short run. Moreover, renewable energy consumption is found to have a positive impact on green growth. The findings thus point to the need for policies that promote human capital and ICT infrastructure as a way of accelerating green growth.

The relationship between exchange rate volatility (ERV) and other macroeconomic factors, including trade flows, domestic production, inflation, money demand, and economic growth, has remained a topic of a large number of studies in international finance. However, the research question that the past empirics have overlooked is whether ERV has any role in helping an emerging economy like China in its journey toward a renewable energy transition. To answer this question, this analysis intends to scrutinize the nexus between ERV and renewable energy investment (REI) in China over 1991Q1-2021Q4. Moreover, due to the asymmetric behavior of ERV, we have based our analysis on the asymmetric assumption. For analyzing the short and long-run impacts of ERV on REI in China, we used the linear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and nonlinear ARDL methods. In the long term, the ARDL model predicts that stricter environmental policies and higher GDP will lead to more investment in renewable energy. As far as the nonlinear model is concerned, the long-term negative change in ERV does not affect REIs, whereas a long-term positive change in ERV reduces such investments. Likewise, unfavorable short-term exchange rate shocks encourage REI while positive short-term shocks discourage such development. Moreover, investment in renewable energy is bolstered by GDP, environmental policy strictness, and financial development, but is dampened by CO2 emissions in the short term in both models. On the basis of these results, we suggest that policymakers should consider implementing measures to stabilize exchange rates to promote investment in renewable energy.

The relationship between exchange rate volatility (ERV) and other macroeconomic factors, including trade flows, domestic production, inflation, money demand, and economic growth, has remained a topic of a large number of studies in international finance. However, the research question that the past empirics have overlooked is whether ERV has any role in helping an emerging economy like China in its journey toward a renewable energy transition. To answer this question, this analysis intends to scrutinize the nexus between ERV and renewable energy investment (REI) in China over 1991Q1-2021Q4. Moreover, due to the asymmetric behavior of ERV, we have based our analysis on the asymmetric assumption. For analyzing the short and long-run impacts of ERV on REI in China, we used the linear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and nonlinear ARDL methods. In the long term, the ARDL model predicts that stricter environmental policies and higher GDP will lead to more investment in renewable energy. As far as the nonlinear model is concerned, the long-term negative change in ERV does not affect REIs, whereas a long-term positive change in ERV reduces such investments. Likewise, unfavorable short-term exchange rate shocks encourage REI while positive short-term shocks discourage such development. Moreover, investment in renewable energy is bolstered by GDP, environmental policy strictness, and financial development, but is dampened by CO2 emissions in the short term in both models. On the basis of these results, we suggest that policymakers should consider implementing measures to stabilize exchange rates to promote investment in renewable energy.

We analyze how countries with different institutional settings use natural resources for economic growth. For a panel of 159 countries over the period 1992–2010, we estimate how the effect of a permanent increase in the growth rate of GDP on the growth rate of resource use depends on political institutional quality. We study this relationship for total resource use and for its subclasses fossil fuels, biomass, non-metallic minerals, and metal ores. Our results show that the effect of an increase of economic growth on total resource use growth is higher for countries with higher political institutional quality. This result holds for the subclasses biomass and non-metallic minerals and in most specifications for metal ores. In contrast, we find no positive association for fossil fuels. We reconcile our results with endogenous growth theory and suggest technology and input prices as transmission channels. In this interpretation, our results highlight that institutions provide important framework conditions, but they are no general panacea to further decrease the resource dependency of economic growth.

We analyze how countries with different institutional settings use natural resources for economic growth. For a panel of 159 countries over the period 1992–2010, we estimate how the effect of a permanent increase in the growth rate of GDP on the growth rate of resource use depends on political institutional quality. We study this relationship for total resource use and for its subclasses fossil fuels, biomass, non-metallic minerals, and metal ores. Our results show that the effect of an increase of economic growth on total resource use growth is higher for countries with higher political institutional quality. This result holds for the subclasses biomass and non-metallic minerals and in most specifications for metal ores. In contrast, we find no positive association for fossil fuels. We reconcile our results with endogenous growth theory and suggest technology and input prices as transmission channels. In this interpretation, our results highlight that institutions provide important framework conditions, but they are no general panacea to further decrease the resource dependency of economic growth.

The present study investigates the effect of public–private partnership investment in energy and renewable energy consumption on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, taking into account the critical role of economic growth and trade openness in Pakistan from 1992 to 2019. The linear and nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag models are employed to check the co-integration link between dependent and independent variables, further estimate short-run and long-run associations, and examine the symmetric and asymmetric effects of public–private partnership investment in energy on CO2 emissions in Pakistan. The empirical findings show that public–private partnership investment in energy reduces environmental quality by increasing CO2 emissions. Similarly, economic development and trade openness harms the atmosphere by raising CO2 emissions. On the other hand, renewable energy consumption significantly negatively affects CO2 emissions. In addition, the findings also authenticate the asymmetric link between public–private partnership investment in energy and the environment, as CO2 emissions are caused mainly by positive shocks in public–private partnership investment in energy in the short and long run. This study proposes financing renewable energy projects through public–private partnership is needed for an environmentally friendly future.