Energy is a basic industry for any economy and ensures the country’s security, including economic

security. The purpose of the article is to analyze the reform of the energy sector in Ukraine

for successful integration into the energy sector of the European Union. The state of the energy

industry from 2003 to 2018 is analyzed. The following main reasons for the decrease in electricity

generation in Ukraine are identified – a decrease in production volumes, the annexation of Crimea

and the anti-terrorist operation in the east of Ukraine, a decrease in the volume of energy output

from Thermal Power Plants due to aging capacities, difficulties with raw materials, low efficiency,

which, however, has a good effect on the environment due to a decrease carbon dioxide emissions.

The directions of reforming the electric power industry of Ukraine are considered in the context of

“industry-market-company”. Four electricity market models are analyzed and the new model of the

competitor’s market for electricity in Ukraine with contract market, spot market, the balancing market

is substantiated. The structure of the segments of the new electricity market and the participants

are proposed. More than half of the electricity market is provided by nuclear power, which ranks

the 5th in the world in terms of installed capacity. The analysis of the performance indicators of the

nuclear company for 2007–2019 showed significant reserves for the company’s growth, which are

being successfully implemented through strategic development projects and phased corporatization

of the company as a tool of unbundling. The main challenges of implementation a new market

model are analyzed and solutions are proposed.

Scientists are focusing on the introduction of various types of renewable energy sources and the liberalization of energy markets in the regions of the country. The problems of preventing the achievement of goals and various strategies to achieve maximum energy conservation and overcoming the current economic and environmental crisis in Ukraine also remain unresolved. We can observe the experience of the leading countries in the electricity sector, which proves that reforming the electricity sector in Ukraine is inevitable. This, in turn, is a critical factor in stimulating economic and social growth and improving the competitiveness of the regions of Ukraine. Given the above, the necessity for the study of the level of efficiency (competitiveness) and the functioning of the regional energy markets of Ukraine is obvious.
This study shows that the efficiency of electricity in the western region is relatively low due to the lack of competition, the presence of an ineffective system of subsidizing the population with cheap resources, the non-transparency of trade operations, excessive regulation of state generation, the lack of a “balanced” system of market functioning, etc.

The electric power sector is analyzed from the standpoint of well-being and a number of political priorities are considered that go beyond the traditional tasks of the so-called “energy trilemma”, namely reliable, affordable and carbon-free energy. This shows the importance of solving the problem at different levels as it can help the Government of Kazakhstan more reliably achieve synergy between actions to combat climate change and other priorities and, consequently, achieve double harmonization. The purpose of the study is to consider the cost and pricing surveys in the conditions of the functioning of the electricity market of Kazakhstan. Electricity is of key importance for human well-being. Electricity is highly necessary for many basic services, infrastructure and economic activities. Despite the increase in energy efficiency, the global electricity demand increased by 115% between 1990 and 2020, which is significantly higher than the population growth rate over the same period. This trend will undoubtedly continue conditioned upon economic growth, increased access and the electrification of end users. The assessment of electricity generation technologies from the point of view of well-being requires the use of the full cost method, which includes all applicable external costs, risks and benefits to determine the low-carbon energy balance, which in the Republic of Kazakhstan, is compatible with sustainable development. This assessment clearly needs to go beyond the plant level to consider the network infrastructure and demand to get a holistic view of the social costs of electricity. The practical significance lies in the analysis of cost and pricing in the conditions of the functioning of the electricity market of Kazakhstan.

The issue of energy security was the subject of research in the 1970s when the oil crisis of 1973 significantly affected the economic stability of hundreds of companies and ordinary citizens in the United States and Western Europe. One of the first researchers of energy security was Mason Willrich who, considering the impact of energy on international politics, national security, the world economy, and the environment in the world, drew attention to the issues of “security of supply” and “security of demand” as fundamental to ensure energy security. The concept of “energy security” involves the comprehensive implementation of political, economic, environmental, technological, and social measures to strengthen the internal subjectivity of the state and limit opportunities for external influence. Subsequently, numerous researchers have expanded the understanding of energy security to environmental sustainability and energy efficiency). The presented scientific work is focused on the analysis of state management decisions for ensuring the energy security of Ukraine. The authors also trace vulnerabilities in various energy systems, including energy infrastructure, energy services, and renewable energy sources. The decline in energy demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine has created a dilemma: state support for renewable energy production (RES), which generates rising producer prices, or reduced energy intensity of GDP and stimulated production of cheap nuclear energy. A comprehensive scientific analysis of the solution to this dilemma is the purpose of the presented work.

This paper presents the main dilemma of development of the Polish energy sector on the 20th anniversary of the first liberalization directive of the European Union, which created the energy market. The situation in the Polish energy sector based on fossil fuels, its transformation into lower emission one is closely connected to the process of restructuring and further development of the mining sector. On the other hand, we are witnessing the development of RES, household installations producing electricity with storage and the electrification of public transport. The investments in new, large scale fossil fuel fired power plants are very expensive and not economically proven when electricity prices are low. Until the new direction of investment in energy sector will be decided, the option of the lasting of the operating existing power units seems to be a good proposal. Is the thesis: “The energy security of Poland should be fully based on indigenous sources, generation and distribution assets, delivering electricity to end users. Ensuring competitive energy prices to the economy and households, the market should be fully open to producers and consumers, including chip electricity arising from the European single market” the right assumption for the Polish energy policy?

Hybrid Power Sources/Systems (HPS) are generally treated as local prosumer supplies. The paper presents a new approach to the strategy of electricity contracting from HPS, considering hybrid systems as a new type of quasi-centrally dispatched power units operating in Polish market conditions. The possibilities of contracting electricity from HPS, consisting of three electricity generation technologies: biogas plant, wind power plant and solar power plant, are presented. The opportunity to obtain additional income from the electricity trading on the balancing market was used. Proposals for a new mathematical description of HPS topology were also presented, including a feasibility function, which can be used for technical and economic analyses. The obtained results can be used as a direction of development in the field of optimization of hybrid source operation in cooperation with the power grid. Based on the conducted analyses, it can be observed that electricity sales contracts concluded for each hour of the day may bring additional profit for the investor. However, the strong dependence of the proposed strategy on the situation on the balancing market or other local electricity markets similar in their operations should be emphasized.