This study examined what affects how much energy is used in China. The researchers split the industry into parts and looked at how changes in each part's energy use influence the overall energy intensity. They found that changes in how much energy each industry uses within itself are the most crucial in affecting total energy intensity. Additionally, when looking at individual companies, they discovered that the size of a company affects how much coal, oil, and electricity it uses – bigger companies tend to use more. Foreign-owned companies use less energy, while companies in areas with lots of coal use more coal. If all companies could lower their energy use to match the more efficient ones, China's overall energy use could drop a lot without changing what they produce or how industries are set up.