Dear Sirs,
We would like to kindly invite you to participate in a unique and very important for Polish energy sector debate:
Energy in a Regional Context
11 May 2010 (Tuesday), 11.00 a.m., Seat of “Polityka”, ul. Słupecka 6, Warsaw
The Polish energy sector faces many dilemmas. The current costs of energy-related actions result from pushing relevant problems to the side for many years. One of the issues that we must focus on and actively act upon, especially in the context of preserving the energy security of the country, is remodelling of the approach to energy to make it locally-focused as opposed to centrally-focused.
The Energy Policy for Poland for the period up to 2030 („PEP 2030”) points out the need for diversification of the structure of electricity generation and increasing the involvement of local authorities in execution of national priorities connected with this energy policy. Other significant aims are modernisation and extension of distribution networks, which should allow for improvement of the security of power supply and development of dispersed energy with use of local energy sources.
Development of local energy is beneficial not only from the perspective of ensuring energy security and continuity of supply, but also in light of the necessity of executing the assumptions of EU directives placing emphasis on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. However, in order to be able to act successfully in this respect, it is vital for local and council authorities to be involved, local and central government investment strategies to be correlated, the necessary legislation to be enacted, monitoring systems to be made more efficient, and issues in respect of financing to be resolved. In the context of development of regional energy, it is also vital for restructurisation of infrastructure, development of transmission networks and their adaptation to the current needs of users in rural areas, as well as local monitoring of demand for energy, to be carried out.
In order to achieve these goals, we must discuss how they can be reached in the most efficient manner possible. Above all, we must know specifically where and how we should invest. Issues that must be discussed in detail and planned for include: development of regional heating networks, cogeneration, local energy sources based not only on gas and coal, taking into account the potential offered by wind energy, hydropower plants, biomass and waste-to-energy. We invite you to join us in a public debate on the aforementioned topics, in which renowned experts are to take part.
We have invited the following experts to participate in the debate:
- Bernard Błaszczyk, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of the Environment;
- dr Henryk Majchrzak, Director of the Energy Department, Ministry of the Economy;
- prof. Krzysztof Żmijewski, Secretary General of the Consultancy Board of the National Programme for Reduction of Emissions;
- prof. Eugeniusz Toczyłowski, Chairman of the Working Group for Market Issues, Consultancy Board of the National Programme for Reduction of Emissions;
- Grzegorz Wiśniewski, President of the Management Board, Institute of Renewable Energy;
- Representatives of the following sectors: energy, gas, industry, finance, consultancy.