This study examines the spatial relationships of electricity consumption across Polish urban, suburban and surrounding areas at the poviat scale. It asks whether energy use clusters geographically and which urban characteristics help explain the observed patterns.

Using 2022 data, the analysis combines global spatial autocorrelation, local indicators of spatial association and spatially lagged regression. It identifies differentiated clusters and finds that urbanisation and particulate-matter pollution are associated negatively with electricity consumption in the specified model, while waste generation and petrol-car prevalence are associated positively. The interpretation emphasises that neighbouring territories cannot be treated as independent observations.

The article contributes to the Lab’s work on smaller and interconnected cities by showing how energy-transition policy can be tailored to spatial clusters rather than administrative units alone. It also illustrates the value of relational and spatially explicit modelling for identifying shared transition challenges.