Tag:
power sector

Poland’s energy transition is clearly accelerating despite the lack of formal adoption of key government strategies, including the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). A breakthrough moment, in June last year, marked the first time that renewable energy generation exceeded coal-fired generation. Domestic production of steam coal for power generation has fallen by 47% since 2016. At the same time, renewable energy sources reached a record share of the system’s available capacity, exceeding 51%. However, the rapid changes in the sector are accompanied by continued dependence on fossil fuels, primarily oil and, increasingly, natural gas. The transition is also accelerating on the side of new technologies and adoption by energy consumers themselves. The energy storage sector is developing particularly rapidly, with the capacity of prosumer energy storage systems having reached 0.6 GW in 2025, while storage capacity of these systems doubled over the course of the year. The electric vehicle market is also growing rapidly, increasing by 68%, year on year. The course of Poland’s energy transition and its challenges are presented and analysed in the latest, ninth edition of Forum Energii’s flagship publication, Energy Transition in Poland. Yearbook 2026.

The capacity market is a system of public support to maintain dispatchable capacity in the Polish electricity system. It was introduced in 2018, with the approval of the European Commission, because coal-fired power plants were no longer making money for themselves. It could have initiated the creation of new dispatchable and flexible capacity, but after eight auctions so far, it is mainly old coal units that are benefiting. Now the capacity mechanism needs to be redesigned to give an impetus to new, flexible investments replacing coal. We present our take on how to organise a new capacity market in Poland. 

Poland’s energy transition is progressing, and 2023 was a year of real records. Although coal remains the main source of electricity production, its share in the mix fell to an all-time low of 60.5%, down 10 p.p. from a year earlier. Production from RES reached 27% for the first time. At the same time, energy production from natural gas increased, by more than 40%. This is a result of falling fuel prices and the flexibility of gas generation. Wholesale energy prices in Poland compared to other EU countries remain very high, and the economy’s dependence on imported fossil fuels is growing rapidly. In the latest, seventh edition of the “Energy Transition in Poland” report, Forum Energii presents the state of transition play and a broader look at the overall process.

Wind power is playing an increasingly important role in Poland's electricity system. Onshore wind farms are expected to become the second source in the electricity production mix this year, overtaking lignite. And as early as 2026, the first terawatt-hours from offshore wind turbines in Poland's Baltic region will be added to the Polish mix. In a new report by Forum Energii, we outline the state of the game: whether offshore will be launched on time, how to improve processes so that investments are made without delays, and how to realize the real potential of offshore wind energy on the Polish coast. 

The upcoming European Parliament elections will open a new chapter in EU climate and energy policy. The new European Commission, which begins its 5-year term in the fall, will have to monitor the implementation of a wide range of files related to the ‘Fit for 55’ package and navigating the Union towards the 2050 goals by setting targets for 2040. It will also certainly propose a new political strategy, as the dynamics of the discussion in the EU is in a state of constant flux. From Poland’s perspective, what new priorities of the European Commission will be most important and gain support and interest?