Exploring energy paradigms and digital innovations: Challenges and future research pathways

This study employs bibliometric analysis to investigate in depth the literature on Clean Energy, Dirty Energy, and Digital Assets. Using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny (RStudio), it visualises the intellectual structure of these interconnected fields using co-citation, co-word, and three-field plot analyses. To capture the evolution of research between 2020 and 2024, this study reviews existing literature to determine publication trends, leading countries, authors, and journals. It offers a comprehensive view of how these fields intersect across technological, economic, and environmental dimensions. Whereas studies investigate digital assets, clean energy, and dirty energy separately, their interdependence has not been examined, creating a clear theoretical and knowledge gap. This study attempts to address this gap by consolidating existing research and highlighting emerging themes and future research directions. Significantly, the findings extend beyond descriptive mapping. The theoretical framework by TCCM reveals that research on clean, dirty, and digital energy is predominantly driven by TPB, followed by SDT, HMSAM, and econometric models that capture market interdependencies. The insights support academics in exploring new interdisciplinary themes, help policymakers refine clean energy and carbon market frameworks, and guide investors in spotting diversification opportunities in the digital energy landscape. By connecting these three domains, the study adds to a better understanding of the Sustainable Digital Energy Ecosystem, with scholarly and practical implications.