As　geographic　limitation　has　gradually　vanished,　many　economic　activities　occurred　with　apparent　spillover　on　the　neighboring　regions.　To　study　other　social　pressures　on　energy　consumption　considering　spatial　spillover　effects,　this　paper　constructs　STIRPAT　spatial　model　to　investigate　the　relationship　among　energy　intensity,　foreign　direct　investment　(FDI),　economic　growth,　population　scale,　and　technology　progress　in　the　case　of　30　provinces　in　China　over　the　period　of　2001–2016.　Spatial　correlation　test　methodologies　are　applied,　and　STIRPAT　spatial　Durbin　model　(SDM)　is　preferred　to　describe　the　pushing-in　and　pushing-out　effects　among　regions.　We　find　that　there　is　obvious　spatial　spillover　of　energy　intensity;　economic　growth,　industrial　development,　and　population　scale　positively　relate　to　energy　intensity　in　local　regions;　technology　progress　is　an　effective　way　for　energy　conservation;　the　spillover　effects　of　global　domestic　production　(GDP),　population　size,　and　technology　in　adjacent　regions　are　significant　on　local　energy　consumption;　in　China,　FDI　inflows　into　the　local　and　neighboring　regions　negatively　affect　energy　intensity,　indicating　that　FDI　would　release　the　pressure　of　energy　consumption.　©　2019,　Springer-Verlag　GmbH　Germany,　part　of　Springer　Nature.