This year the meeting of the heads of the EU Supreme Audit Institutions and the European Court of Auditors, the so called Contact Committee, was dedicated primarily to the energy and climate policy of the European Union. NIK President, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, presented conclusions of the audit concerning the energy market in our country.
Poland has to decrease the emission of gases produced in the coal burning process, in compliance with the EU Energy package. At the same time electricity generation capacity has to be provided, so as to satisfy the national economy needs, which is a great challenge. One of the most significant issues is still lack of an updated, long-term Energy Policy of Poland. The document should specify conditions for a constant and sustainable development of the national economy, energy security and satisfying the needs of enterprises and households. No such policy has been prepared, therefore entities producing electricity are unsure while taking strategic investment decisions that might influence the economy for many years.
NIK analysis shows that the issues related to the preparation of a coherent energy policy are caused by a non-coordinated influence of several significant state institutions. Moreover, they are not unanimous in the interpretation of the new EU objectives. Therefore, NIK suggested to appoint a Polish analytical centre that would provide independent analyses of the proposals that are being prepared in the European Commission. Such centre could also conduct comprehensive, professional simulations related to possible options of the energy policy.
Poland has to determine which development directions of the energy policy will be preferred. Currently more that 80% of the energy is produced by coal power plants. Major Polish energy companies are also planning to use renewable energy sources, however it is uncertain, how effective will their financing mechanisms be. That is why NIK plans to audit the support system for the development of such energy production methods next year.
