Energy use in Poland: An international comparison

Abstract

The structure of energy use in Poland and other former centrally-planned economies historically differed considerably from that in Western countries. With the transition toward market-oriented economies underway, changes have occurred, but most of the physical stock remains in place. We compare energy use in Poland with that in Western countries in industry, transportation, and the residential and service sectors. We present data for 1988, the last full year of the centrally-planned economy, and for 1991, after reforms had begun to have an impact. We describe how differences between Poland and Western countries in sectoral energy use are shaped by variation in levels of energy-using activity, the structure of activity, and specific energy intensities. The comparison shows that Poland's comparatively high energy intensities in manufacturing and residential space heating, along with the energy-intensive structure of manufacturing, explain why energy use per capita in Poland is not much below W. European levels despite Poland's much lower GDP per capita.