The discussion began with Tomasz Jurkanis, who presented several key facts about Poland’s energy situation. First, he noted that the price of electricity in Poland is among the highest in Europe. Second, he emphasized that over 60% of Poland’s energy mix still relies on coal. Third, he highlighted that the consumption of oil and oil-based fuels is increasing by a few percentage points annually. He then directed a question to Dorota Zawadzka-Stępniak about the main directions of Poland’s energy transition.
The Chair of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management responded that energy transition is an absolute priority for the Polish government. The fund allocates about 80% of its annual budget, amounting to 13 billion PLN, to initiatives supporting energy transition. She identified two key pillars of this transformation: the development of renewable energy sources (RES) and the improvement of energy efficiency. She stressed the need for innovative solutions in the energy sector, such as modernizing transmission networks, building energy storage systems, and advancing hydrogen energy.
Michał Hojowski agreed, emphasizing the necessity of introducing more innovations in the energy sector. He cited examples such as hydrotreated vegetable oil used as biofuel and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, which captures and stores carbon dioxide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He also pointed out that a medium-sized cement plant emits approximately one million tons of CO₂ annually, suggesting that developing alternative methods of cement production could significantly reduce these emissions.
Bogdan Kucharski began his remarks by stating that energy transition is a long-term process that must be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. He used electric vehicles (EVs) in Poland as an example, noting that there are currently only 100,000 EVs compared to 27 million vehicles in total. Referring to 2023 data, he pointed out that only 4% of new car registrations in Poland were electric, compared to 14–15% in Europe’s most developed countries. Kucharski emphasized that by 2040, the Polish economy will still require 90% of the current oil demand, indicating that the energy transition will take decades. He called for a bipartisan social agreement to outline the main directions for changes in Poland’s energy sector.
Artur Wasil supported the need for broad social consensus, stressing the importance of developing distribution networks to further support prosumer photovoltaics. However, he criticized the misallocation of funds from the sale of EU Emission Trading System (ETS) allowances, noting that only 1% of these funds were spent on energy transition, despite commitments to allocate over 50%. He referred to a report by Polish Power Grids predicting that, without modernizing coal blocks, Poland will face a 12-gigawatt energy deficit by 2035.
Dorota Zawadzka-Stępniak added that stable laws are not enough—a long-term energy transition strategy, modeled on the European “Fit for 55” program, is also necessary. Janusz Władyczak identified three barriers slowing down the transition: legal, infrastructural, and institutional. He pointed out that Poland will need $800 billion for the energy transition by 2030. Although financial institutions are eager to support green energy projects, high interest rates make it challenging for entrepreneurs to implement such investments.
Michał Hojowski addressed young people directly, encouraging them to consider careers in the energy sector, citing the advantages of working in a rapidly growing field. He also highlighted the importance of nuclear energy, stating that it should be a key element of Poland’s energy mix. According to him, nuclear energy provides predictability and stability, unlike RES, which depend on weather conditions.
Bogdan Kucharski added that achieving the climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement would require investing 10% of global annual GDP into energy transition for the next 30 years, a figure he deemed unrealistic. However, he noted that Poland is developing dynamically—by 2010, the country had 700 kilometers of highways and expressways, a number that has since grown to over 5,000 kilometers. He expressed hope that if the barriers mentioned by previous speakers are overcome, Poland could become a leader in energy transition in Europe.
In closing, Artur Wasil emphasized that the transition must not only be green but also economically viable—new energy must be cheaper than conventional energy. Questions from the audience addressed topics such as the competitiveness of energy transition, greenwashing, and the future of nuclear energy in Poland.
