Enhancing Energy and Environmental Efficiency in the Power Sectors: A Case Study of Singapore and China

Abstract

This study investigates the determinants of efficiency in the energy sectors of China and Singapore. It examines three possible futures for the electricity industry in China and Singapore: business as usual, energy efficiency improvement, and regulation and incentive improvement. A panel dataset was subjected to cross-sectional analysis using data envelopment analysis and Tobit regression. In the last 10 years, the electric power sector has reduced carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and mercury emission rates by 90%, 88%, and 95%, respectively, as a result of imperatives for the closing of small coal-fired power stations, air emissions regulations and the utilisation of renewable energy initiatives. Finally, it is suggested that the maximum capabilities of such expenditures can only be achieved if they are considered and involved in the project discovery process, rather than just as an add-on to initiatives initially planned as demand initiatives.