Energy Policy in Poland

Cindy Wang
Current energy mix/usage
Although Poland’s coal use has reduced from about 75% of total energy supply to
about 50%, Poland is still the 10th-largest coal consumer in the world, and the
2nd-largest in Europe. Primary and secondary oil make up the second largest energy
source at almost 25% of
total energy supply,
followed by natural gas,
and then biofuel.
Renewable energy such as
hydro, geothermal, solar,
etc. makes up almost
none of the energy
supply.
Proposed future energy mix goal (20-30 years)
Poland’s Proposals
● 2020- 15% of energy mix is
renewable
● In 2050, coal will still make up
50% of its energy mix
My Proposals
● 2020- 25% of energy mix is
renewable
● 2050- 75% of energy mix is
renewable
● In 2050, coal will make up less
than 10% of its energy mix
● 2050- reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by at least 75%
How current energy resources and efficiencies can be used
● Increased use of flameless gasification technology
○ uses a high pressure gasifier to turn coal and other carbon based fuels into pressurized
gas–synthetic gas (syngas)
○ it can then remove impurities from the syngas prior to the power generation cycle
○ although this use of coal will still produce CO2 , increased efficiency will lead to reduced emissions
for the same amount of energy
● Investing in offshore wind turbines to use on Poland’s coast
● Encouraging the use of photovoltaic cells in businesses, individual homes, etc.
Recommended changes
to new energy sources
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
Poland could follow Sweden’s
example by increasing the use of
nuclear, wind, and biomass energy;
implementing hydroelectric power
wouldn’t be as simple as it is for
Sweden, as most of the country is
surrounded by the ocean, while only
a small part of Poland has access to
the ocean.
Funding proposals
● Transfer funding for coal to funding for
renewable resource technologies; although
they may be more expensive, they pay for
themselves over time
● Temporarily transfer funding from other
government expenditures
Country, city, and individual actions
Country:
● Build wind turbines for offshore wind and in unpopulated lands
● Create renewable resource programs, encourage citizens to
implement these technologies
● Give subsidies to businesses converting to renewable energy

City:
● Businesses can convert to renewable energy
● Cities can create programs directly educating citizens about
renewable resources and the dangers of coal

Individual:
● Try to invest in solar panels or geothermal heating if possible
● Generally be more mindful about electricity use
● Spread awareness!
How will we encourage people?
In Poland, coal has traditionally been (and is still) romanticized, with miners in Poland
being more respected than medical doctors and teachers. It makes up a large part of
Poland’s economy, with over 100,000 workers in the coal industry. In order to
encourage people to switch from coal to renewable energy, we’ll have to quickly
resupply them with jobs in the renewable resource industry, as well as give subsidies to
companies to gradually convert to renewable energy by implementing more solar,
offshore wind, and geothermal techniques.
Citations
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/coal-heavy-poland-moves-to-renewables-finally#gs.zA4leqk
https://www.iea.org/statistics/?country=POLAND&year=2016&category=Key%20indicators&indicator=TPESbyS
ource&mode=chart&categoryBrowse=false&dataTable=BALANCES&showDataTable=true
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thebakersinstitute/2018/03/28/explaining-polands-coal-paradox/#31be12434867
http://poland-energy.com/coal/index.html
https://sweden.se/society/energy-use-in-sweden/
https://www.epa.gov/
https://www.nhbr.com/June-26-2015/Amendment-rededicates-some-NH-RGGI-money-for-energy-conservation/
http://cerpd.com/about-cerpd/
http://allhomedecorreview.site/renewable-energy-home-design/