The Two-Stage Energy Transition Path for Coastal Areas in Eastern China : Past and Future

On the one hand, as the most developed region in China (and constrained by a reverse distribution of resource endowments), the contradiction between the power supply and power demand in eastern areas is prominent. On the other hand, compared with inland areas, coastal areas have more choices on the power supply side. For the above reasons, the energy transition path for coastal areas in eastern China is unique. This study divides the energy transition path for coastal areas in eastern China into two stages: the past and the future. The power transmission from west to east and offshore wind power are selected as the research objects of the two stages respectively. The transition is analyzed from three perspectives (economy, environment, and supply structure) through economic and environmental cost calculation models. The results show that: 1) The average economic cost and environmental cost of power transmission from west to east are lower than those of local thermal power. This shows that the Chinese government’s policy of power transmission from west to east in the past few decades is reasonable. 2) The economic cost of offshore wind power is higher than that of local thermal power. However, considering the environmental cost, the comprehensive cost of offshore wind power is lower than that of local thermal power. In the future, the power supply pattern of “local power supply + power transmission from west to east + offshore wind power” will be formed in the eastern coastal areas of China. 3) Through the two-stage energy transition, the proportion of clean energy in the power supply structure of the eastern coastal areas of China has increased significantly