Impacts of the Construction of New Energy Demonstration Cities on Energy Utilization Efficiency—Evidence from Chinese Cities

Cities are at the core of resource consumption and carbon emissions, and against a backdrop of increasingly severe global climate change and resource constraints, they have become crucial in achieving an ecological civilization through sustainable development models. Using data from 293 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2023 as a research sample, this study empirically examines the impacts of new energy demonstration city construction on energy utilization efficiency, with the aim of providing insights to guide urban sustainable development. Our findings are as follows: firstly, the construction of new energy demonstration cities can effectively enhance energy utilization efficiency. Secondly, digital economy policies and environmental regulations can positively moderate the impact of new energy demonstration city construction on energy utilization efficiency. Thirdly, the construction of new energy demonstration cities can significantly improve energy utilization efficiency through technological innovation and industrial optimization.