Introduction The Three Northeastern Provinces (TNP; Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces), known as "the industrial cradle of new China" [1, 2], contribute strongly to the economy of China. The TNP covers about 8.20% of China's land area, and its economy accounts for 8% of China's gross domestic product; however, the energy consumption in the TNP accounts for almost 11.5% of China's total energy consumption [3]. The main energy consumption in the TNP is
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