Opinion poll: Poland and the EU should invest more in energy transition

According to 44 per cent of those surveyed, the energy transition is important for energy prices and the stability of energy supply in the future, according to a survey by the Yotta agency commissioned by the Polish Electricity Committee.

When asked "Who do you think should finance the energy transition in Poland to the greatest extent?" - respondents equally indicated Poland (government, energy companies, energy consumers) and the European Union - 39 per cent each. Significantly, calculations by EY experts presented in the report "Poland's Energy Transformation Path" indicate that investments in the transformation of the energy market by 2030 will amount to as much as EUR 135 billion (PLN 600 billion). This implies the need to support the energy companies on which the burden of Poland's energy transformation rests. Only with additional funds, primarily from the European Union, but also with the involvement of self-generated profits, will it be possible to bridge the investment gap resulting from Poland's goal of achieving climate neutrality.

Poles feel the need to become independent of foreign raw materials as soon as possible, and thus to guarantee secure supplies of cheap energy. In contrast, only one third of respondents indicated that the pace of the energy transition is sufficient. The expectation of an increase in the intensity of the energy transition may be a direct result of the perturbations caused by the war in Ukraine and the introduction of the embargo on Russian raw materials.

As pointed out by the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Polish Electricity Committee, the President of PGE CG Wojciech Dąbrowski -. Transformation of the Polish energy sector is the only way to permanently halt the increase in the cost of energy production through independence from the cost of energy raw materials and the price of carbon dioxide emission allowances. This is a condition for maintaining acceptable energy prices for Polish families and preserving the competitiveness of the Polish economy. The Polish Energy Group will invest more than PLN 75 billion by 2030 in photovoltaic and wind farms on land and at sea alone, as well as in the replacement of thermal energy sources.

The survey was carried out from 19 to 22 May by YOTTA in cooperation with the nationwide Ariadna panel, on a representative sample of Poles (1 022 interviews).