The research looked at why China's industry is using more energy by focusing on factors like technology differences and how big the economy is. They found that in the 21st century, China's industry used over a billion tons more of coal-like energy. The main reason for this was the economy getting bigger. Some factors like using energy and output technology better helped save energy. But some gaps in technology and the size of the industry increased energy use. Overall, China's industry is set up to be better at making things but not as effective at saving energy. The research method used can help understand how to save energy and reduce pollution in other places too.