On 16 March, Ukraine was synchronised with the electricity grid of continental Europe, bidding a permanent farewell to the systems of Russia and Belarus. The connection took place in an urgent and emergency procedure. This is an important step towards sustainable cooperation with the European Union. But today, in Ukraine, there is first and foremost a warfare, as well as an energy war, which is no less important for the lives of the civilian population of Ukraine and Europe as a whole.

On February 24, Russia started the Ukrainian war. Nothing will be the same again. Russia's brutal attack made the ongoing conflict around energy resources all the more obvious. In 2021 alone Russia could have earned PLN 500 billion (or $120 billion). from the export of energy resources. This revenue funds the Kremlin's military spending. Now we are considering whether giving up Russian fossil fuels is possible. Undoubtedly, this would be a radical solution with far-reaching and not entirely known consequences. If this were to happen, solidarity and close cooperation within the EU would be more important than ever before. In this article, we analyze what options Poland has to break its energy dependence on Russia.

In recent months, rising energy prices have caused panic among policymakers. Gas and coal prices on world markets are at record highs, and crude oil is also becoming more expensive. In addition, Poland has become one of the EU countries most dependent on fossil fuel imports.

The prices of coal, gas, and CO2 are reaching record levels while the price for electricity is galloping, causing panic among politicians, energy consumers, and institutions responsible for maintaining Poland’s energy security.

In the film with Louis de Funès, a separate, unreal world was created for the titular hibernatus to make him feel comfortable in the new reality. With the National Energy Security Agency (NABE) that the government is proposing for coal power, it is similar. The ring-fencing of coal assets is necessary because they are making increasing losses, the power companies are in debt, and with the coal burden in the new reality they are running out of finance to invest. However, without a cost-benefit analysis for the economy and society, or an assessment of the risks, NABE, instead of unlocking the transition, may hibernate it and introduce chaos that will threaten Poland's energy security.

Electrification sets the direction of inevitable changes in many areas of our lives, including transport and heating. This direction will force a closer cooperation of various sectors of the economy with the future, completely different from today's power system. The integration of three industries — transportation, heat, and power generation— is the new concept for the operation of the entire energy sector. What can it look like in 2050? How will the necessary changes bring Poland closer to the goal of climate neutrality? Forum Energii in the new analysis convinces that a good strategy of sector coupling is a benefit for the Polish economy and society.

The three capacity auctions for 2021-2023 are behind us. What is the result? Has it been possible to encourage manufacturers to make new investments? Does the capacity market support diversification of the mix? How much does the capacity market cost? And finally, do the new EU regulations concerning emission standards mean the end of the capacity market in Poland?

We are starting to implement new EU energy regulations. Will the "Clean energy for all Europeans" package heal the Polish energy sector and give it an impulse for development? How can the energy consumer benefit from the changes? In Forum Energii's report "Small steps to big changes", we analyse the provisions of the Package and their consequences for Poland. 

When electricity was cut off for almost an hour in London on 9 August, a nervous wave swept through the media, whistling up blackout throughout Europe and blaming the unstability of renewables. It was worth holding off on a moment with such opinions, because the causes and sequence of events proved to be much more complicated. The British transmission system operator National Grid has published an initial report which shows that a conventional gas-fired power plant failed in parallel to the offshore farm. And it all started with.... lightning. 

In the latest report Locational market in Poland. Security of supply, costs and impact on the energy transition, Forum Energii recommends changes on the energy market in Poland. It is a response to the emerging problems of the Polish energy transformation - high prices, ageing infrastructure, dominant share of coal. As an example, it presents the functioning of the electricity markets in the United States.