Subsektor elektroenergetyczny w obszarze konkurencyjności jest znacznie zróżnicowany w zależności od obszaru, który badamy. Obszar podmiotów zajmujących się wytwarzaniem energii jako bezpośredni beneficjent rynku mocy, przesyłem czy też dystrybucją posiadają całkiem odmienną charakterystykę konkurencyjności, niż takie obszary jak obrót energią elektryczną. Połączenie tych dwóch rynków może prowadzić do „odrynkowienia” i negatywnych skutków przeregulowania. W obszarze wytwarzania przewagę konkurencyjną buduje m.in. umiejętne poruszanie się na rynku paliw oraz celowe inwestycje wpływające na sprawność i efektywność urządzeń. Finansowanie tych inwestycji „rynkiem dwutowarowym” powinno być przeprowadzone ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem już uzyskanej konkurencyjności rynku energii. W obszarze dystrybucji, mimo naturalnego monopolu, pojawiają się na rynku także takie OSD-n, które dynamicznie odbierają udziały w rynku nowo budowanych przyłączeń. Obszar obrotu energią można z powodzeniem porównać do innych segmentów rynku konkurencyjnego, gdzie występuje sprzedaż masowa usług i produktów. Główna trudność we wdrożeniu rynku mocy, to jak zapewnić, aby konieczność gwarancji i bezpieczeństwa dostaw nie zaburzała mechanizmów konkurencyjnych na rynku energii. To zawsze będzie zaburzenie konkurencyjności – szczególnie w Polsce, gdzie często dąży się do przeregulowania tego typu systemów. Subsektor elektroenergetyczny jest na takie przeregulowanie i zaburzenia szczególnie narażony. Występuje tu bowiem niewielka liczba producentów, a znaczna część jest kontrolowana przez państwo.

The smart-city concept refers to a city that uses information and communication technologies to increase the interactivity and efficiency of urban infrastructure and its components, as well as raising awareness among residents of, for example, such socially important issues as energy efficiency and decarbonization. The current priorities and strategic goals of cities and metropolitan areas include climate protection, the reduction of pollution caused by the use of means of transport and heat or energy sources. The development of technology and the evolving smart-city concept are in line with the more efficient use of resources, global demographic trends, and ongoing urbanization processes. This results from the evolving potential of cities that the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) have set in motion. A change in the way cities function is a part of the concept of sustainable development, which involves the thoughtful use of resources in such a way that they are sufficient to not only ensure the well-being of the present generation but to also meet the needs of the future. Particularly important is the principle of sustainable development, which involves the greatest possible synergy between people and the world around them. Therefore, the essence of the idea of sustainable development is the pursuit of the well-being of society while maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem. Studies carried out among inhabitants of cities show that according to their understanding of the smart-city concept, the technological element is as important as the fact that the city is resident-friendly, smartly managed, and well organized, and the entities needed are always in the right place and at the right time. The purpose of this study is to analyze the innovation potential of selected cities of a large metropolis in terms of the smart city concept and 4T capitals. The subject is related to the search by city authorities for new models and tools to shape sustainable development in order to improve their residents’ access to municipal services and amenities, as well as to increase their influence on the future of their cities in such difficult ongoing processes as decarbonization. The main objective of the study was to identify how the authorities of the selected cities incorporate smart-city and 4T-capital topics into local policies to achieve decarbonization goals. The study was based on surveys of residents and municipal employees and on an analysis of local documents and environmental data of pollutions.

At present, it is said that Industry 4.0 is the fourth industrial revolution. Like the previous ones, it also has the ability to transform economies, jobs and societies. Our expectations are changing to the speed of obtaining answers to the questions asked. This is done by introducing new technologies and processes. This is an opportunity for Polish participants of local heat markets, or participants of the power or energy market. who are currently facing profound changes and investments forced, among others, by BAT conclusions. Such mega-processes as digitization, automation, artificial intelligence, IoT, machine learning are increasingly penetrating the world and business. More than 200 years have passed since the first industrial revolution, which was the use of the steam engine, and the requirements for testing the efficiency of enterprises have changed, which themselves are changing very quickly. The basic efficiency measures used in a given sector often result from the specifics of the sector and its degree of development on a macroeconomic scale. Therefore, it is worth placing the energy company in this environment and presenting its role to better match the instruments used. The above is also associated with increased reporting and the need to use additional evaluation measures, e.g. effectiveness of individual projects. It is therefore worth analyzing the available literature in this area, and the performance measures available and used in it, which will help in assessing the effectiveness of management, despite political and regulatory turmoil, and help us use the opportunities brought by the fourth industrial revolution.