Digital Transformation in the Energy Industry: Trends and Prospects

Abstract

Over the last decade the attention of governmental bodies is concentrated on the energy saving, energy efficiency improvement and management of the energy industry problems which create real threats for stable social and economic growth of modern Russia, especially in the light of giving it the innovative vector of development. However, the situation on the federal level directly depends on the changes going on in the regions of the Russian Federation. The above stipulates the necessity of performing the analysis of the development of the energy industry in the Russian Federation, searching threats and revealing development constraining factors, taking into account emerging new technologies. For implementation of the assigned tasks statistical methods of analysis were used in the study which made it possible to assess the conditions and developmental trends in the industry, in particular the indicators of production and consumption of energy in the temporal and spatial checkpoint. In the article the possible ways of development of the electric power industry in Russia were analyzed, with account of the threats of electric power deficiency, environmental degradation, higher safety requirements and the challenges of the digital era. The prospects of the science and technology development in the energy sector were defined; the merits and risks of the development of different technologies were identified. Also the particularities of “smart grid” technologies adoption in Russia were examined, having direct impact on the state of the indicators in the industry. Special attention was given to the item of assessment of the factors hampering the development of new technologies. The obtained results can facilitate the implementation of state policies with regard to taking energy saving measures for energy resources consumption reduction.