Econ Papers Daily / 期刊论文
远距离输电与农业生产力增长：来自中国的证据
Long‐Distance Electricity Transmission and Agricultural Productivity Growth: Evidence From China
摘要
This study examined the effect of the West‐to‐East Electricity Transmission Project in China on agricultural productivity. The project transmits electricity from the resource‐rich west to the consumer‐dense east. Using a Difference‐in‐Differences approach, we found that the project increased county‐level agricultural productivity by about USD 509.5 per person. This increase results from advances in agricultural technological progress and the development of the agricultural industry. Farmer adaptation to improved electricity supply also contributed, such as expanded irrigation, greater land allocation to water‐intensive crops, higher replanting indices, and larger‐scale operations. The project has also raised grain yields and farmers’ disposable incomes, while reducing the agricultural labor force. Only electricity transmission, not natural gas or oil, had a positive and significant effect on agricultural productivity. These results support compelling evidence for investing in large‐scale transregional electricity transmission infrastructure worldwide.
中文摘要
本研究考察了中国“西电东送”工程对农业生产率的影响。该工程将电力从资源丰富的西部地区输送至人口密集的东部地区。采用双重差分法，我们发现该工程使县级农业生产率人均提高了约509.5美元。这一增长源于农业技术进步和农业产业发展。农民对电力供应改善的适应性调整也起到了促进作用，例如扩大灌溉面积、增加高耗水作物的土地配置、提高复种指数以及扩大经营规模。该工程还提高了粮食产量和农民可支配收入，同时减少了农业劳动力。只有电力传输（而非天然气或石油）对农业生产率产生了显著的正向影响。这些结果为全球范围内投资大规模跨区域电力传输基础设施提供了有力证据。