Volume 60

From suitability to synergy in the energy–ecology nexus: a generalizablecoupling–coordination framework with a Qinghai–Tibet Plateau demonstration Liting Wang, Weihua Zeng, Lixiao Zhang, Huaiwu Peng, John Kaiser Calautit, Xiaohan Li

Abstract

Ambitious renewable expansion in ecologically fragile regions must reward not only scale but also match with environmental limits. We present a general coupling–coordination framework that evaluates clean-energy build out and ecological integrity on the same decisionfooting. For each location we derive energy efficacy 𝑆and ecological efficacy 𝐸. Match quality is measured by asymmetric, bounded coupling function 𝐶; overall development uses an ecology-prioritised index 𝑇; theirgeometric blend 𝐷 yields a single coordination score that enforces explicit scale thresholds (𝐷2 ≤ 𝑇) and achievesits upper envelope only along the balance line 𝑆= 𝐸. Weclassify cells into coordination tiers (D1–D5) and label the dominant subsystem (ecology-led, balanced, energy-led) to generate rank–driver codes that translate analysis intoaction. Applied to the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, historical assets (n=1,606) cluster in the mid-to-high corridor—91.90% well coordinated (D4), 6.04% high-quality (D5),2.05% barely coordinated (D3)—while internal imbalance is common (ecology-led 60.77%, balanced13.88%, energy-led 25.34%), implying that unilateral expansion would depress coupling. A resource-based assessment shows a resilient, ecology-led landscape (median 𝐷 =0.777, mean 𝐷 =0.767, mean 𝐶 =0.959; mean𝑆 =0.499, mean 𝐸 =0.695), with province-scale contrasts: Gansu high- 𝐶 but single-driver; Qinghai high-level andmore balanced; Tibet tri-modal with ridge-adjacent optima and energy-pressured pockets; Xinjiang potential constrained by grid/flexibility; Yunnan and Sichuan coordination limited by engineering accessibility. The diagnostics point to three robust pathways—close the lagging subsystem, expand near the balance ridge, and pace build intensity with grid, storage and ecological restoration—providing a generalisable, auditable instrument for high-quality clean-energy growth under ecological redlines.

Keywords renewable energy resources, mitigationtechnologies, Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, coupling–coordination framework, climate change