Purpose This study aims to examine how digital transformation affects the business performance of energy enterprises in the context of the digital economy and green, low-carbon development. It seeks to clarify whether digitalization promotes high-quality development and whether its effects vary across different firm characteristics. Design/methodology/approach The paper develops a comprehensive evaluation system to measure the digital transformation level of energy enterprises. Economic benefits are assessed from three dimensions: internal organizational performance, industry development performance and external market performance. Empirical analyses are conducted using threshold effect models and multiple robustness checks, including variable substitution, sample reduction and endogeneity tests. Findings The results show that digital transformation significantly improves business performance in the energy sector. However, the effect is not uniform. Significant threshold effects are identified with respect to enterprise size and cost control levels, indicating that the performance gains from digitalization differ across firms with varying characteristics. Originality/value This study provides a multidimensional evaluation framework for assessing digital transformation in energy enterprises and offers empirical evidence on its performance effects. By identifying threshold conditions, it contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how digital strategies can support sustainable and high-quality development in the energy industry.
Lyu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.