Local ecological footprint dynamics in the construction of the Three Gorges Dam

Modern electricity services rely on long distance transmission from generating sites to end users through a widely connected power grid, which could lead to a “lock-in” of the spatial pattern of energy production and consumption in the development of renewable energy systems. This paper considers the example of the construction of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) between 1995 and 2008 to investigate the local ecological impacts of such “lock-in” effects in Yichang City, which occupies 51.6% of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA), by using a provincial hectare ecological footprint model. The time series of the ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity from 1995 to 2008 covering the TGRA construction period were calculated with the proposed provincial hectare model. The results show that the local ecological footprint per capita for fossil energy increased up to 3 times despite the completion of the nation's largest renewable energy project at that time. Although the regional ecological deficit generally decreased at the end of the construction, it is difficult to alter the trajectory of high carbon development afterwards. In conclusion, we suggest studying the local transition of energy consumption at the demand side during construction of renewable energy projects in the future.