As digital technology and green development become more integrated, exploring how the digital economy affects energy consumption is vital for coordinating economic growth with energy conservation and emission reduction. This study uses panel data from 30 Chinese provinces covering the years 2011 to 2023, constructing a digital economy development index system using the entropy weighting method. Additionally, it employs panel threshold models and spatial Durbin models to empirically examine the nonlinear effects and spatial spillover effects of the digital economy on energy consumption. The research reveals that: First, the digital economy exhibits a pronounced threshold effect on energy consumption. When the level of digital economic development falls below the threshold value of 0.024, it effectively curbs energy consumption. Once this threshold is exceeded, it paradoxically promotes energy consumption exhibiting a nonlinear pattern of “initial suppression followed by promotion”. This confirms the existence of the demand-side green paradox of the digital economy effect—where efficiency gains from technological progress are offset by consumption growth, unexpectedly stimulating higher energy consumption. Second, the digital economy exhibits a complex spatial effect on energy consumption characterized by “local promotion and neighboring suppression”. Although it demonstrates negative spillovers in surrounding areas, the overall regional effect remains positive, revealing the spatial complexity of this “green paradox”. These findings challenge traditional linear assumptions and offer valuable insights into regional digital economic planning and the promotion of green, low-carbon development.
Chen et al. (2025) studied this question.