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This paper quantitatively measures the labor productivity dispersion index of 30 provincial-level political regions (excluding Tibet) in mainland China from 2006 to 2018 based on industrial employment and output share data. Based on clarifying each region's economic variability, a spatial panel model is used to examine regional economic growth and labor productivity dispersions' effects on energy intensity. It was found that energy intensity in China is significantly spatially correlated. There is a clear gap between the share of output and the share of employment in China's three industries where labor productivity has deviated. The highest index of labor productivity dispersion is found in the western region, followed by the central region, with the lowest in the eastern region. Although, China's economic growth has had a significant negative impact on energy intensity, the current stage of China's economic development model is able to gradually achieve efficient energy use. However, the dispersion of labor productivity is not conducive to the improvement of energy factor allocation efficiency, and rationalization of industrial structure and employment structure transformation are urgently needed. To control energy intensity, China should actively adjust the current labor productivity dispersion; promote the transfer of primary industry labor to secondary and tertiary industries; strengthen control mechanisms for energy prices; optimize the impact of investment activities on energy intensity; and improve energy efficiency. • China's factor input structure and power sources are undergoing profound changes. • The study incorporates spatial measures to study the energy intensity problem. • Labor productivity dispersion raises energy intensity. • Economic growth is decoupled from energy intensity at this stage. • Higher energy prices can actually lead to higher energy intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The thermal decomposition of marine carbonates and metasediments is a source of CO 2. • The radioactive decay of U and Th within crustal granite is the dominant source of He. • Three thermal reservoirs were identified using multiple gas geothermometers. • The parent geothermal fluid had a temperature of ∼320 °C at an ∼8-km depth. • Yangbajing has no supercritical fluids, given its small, deep-seated magma chamber. Exploring and exploiting high-temperature (even supercritical) geothermal resources are significant to meet energy demands and reduce carbon emissions. The Yangbajing geothermal field is the most exploited in China, with the currently highest temperature (329.8 °C) measured in a geothermal well. However, whether there are supercritical geothermal fluids beneath the deep parts of this geothermal field is under controversy. In this paper, the water isotope, chemical compositions, and C–He isotopes of gas samples were collected and analyzed. The geothermal water originated from the mixing of meteoric water and magmatic water (25%). The sources of CO 2 in the geothermal field were dominated by the thermogenic degassing of carbonates and metasediments in the crust while the radioactive decay of U and Th in granite is the dominated source of He. The temperatures of three different reservoirs are 150 ± 15 °C, 250 ± 10 °C, and ∼320 °C (with a depth of ∼8 km), respectively. These were obtained using dissolved gas, soil CO 2 flux, and noble gas geothermometers. Unlike other supercritical geothermal fields worldwide with larger, shallower, basaltic magma chambers, the Yangbajing geothermal field has a deep-seated, small-scale, granitic magma chamber. Thus, its geological conditions are not conducive for gestating supercritical fluids. These results are of great significance for exploring and developing high-temperature (even ultra-high-temperature) geothermal resources in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]