Work

The policy instruments and the risk of conflict in rural village energy transition: the case of the coal-to-gas policy in Hebei Province, China

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: As a typical case of authoritarian environmentalism, China's large-scale energy transition showcases state capacity yet carries under-examined conflict risks. This study examines rural “coal-to-gas” policy implementation, employing an extended Theory of Planned Behavior framework to model farmer-government interactions. Structural equation modeling reveals that farmers' and governments' behavioral intentions significantly positively influence farmers' policy responses, with standardized path coefficients of 0.856 and 0.207 respectively. The energy transition conflict risk index is 0.240, indicating that top-down implementation enhances efficiency but triggers energy justice losses and conflict risks by disregarding farmer preferences. These findings offer theoretical insights for balancing policy effectiveness and social acceptance within authoritarian environmentalism.

Source: Journal of Applied Economics

DOI: 10.1080/15140326.2025.2578446

Authors: Chenxi Zhao, Xudong Wei, Tianjing Cui, Chenyu Zhao, Yinghui Wang

Institutions: Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, Shijiazhuang Tiedao University

Language: English

Topic: Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Affordable and clean energy, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,533