Examining the Influence and Mechanisms of the Digital Economy on Urban Green Total Factor Energy Efficiency: Evidence from 240 Cities in China

The digital economy has emerged as a pivotal driver in enhancing the green total energy efficiency of cities. Utilizing panel data from 240 prefecture-level cities in China spanning 2011 to 2022, this study develops an index system to evaluate urban digital economy development across five dimensions: digital infrastructure, digital industry, digital finance, digital innovation, and digital economic policy support.The analysis reveals that urban digital economy's advancement significantly enhances urban green total factor energy efficiency, persisting across various robustness tests.Moreover, the digital economy improves urban green total factor energy efficiency by fostering green technology innovation and advancing energy electrification.Notably, digital finance and digital innovation exhibit a more substantial impact on urban green total factor energy efficiency, with coastal cities and key environmental protection cities showing a more pronounced effect.The threshold effect analysis further indicates a dual threshold effect for new quality productive forces, where the digital economy exerts a significant influence on green total factor energy efficiency once these forces surpass the second threshold.Consequently, it is recommended to promote the development of the urban digital economy to comprehensively enhance energy use efficiency and establish a green, lowcarbon urban energy system.