An increase of energy efficiency as a major tool for achieving energy security

Abstract

Russia is rich in energy resources. It is the second biggest exporter of oil and the biggest natural gas exporting country in the world and plays an increasing role in supplying energy to the European Union. For the future EU-25, Russia's role as energy supplier will even increase. In 2003, the Russian Government approved the Energy Strategy of Russia to the year 2020, which highlights the central role of energy for the development of the Russian economy and for Russia's national security. The energy sector accounts for 22% of the Russian GDP and 30% of total industrial production. It provides about half of the income of the federal budget. In the past, energy efficiency improvement was not given first priority goal in Russia's energy and economic policy, although this could have an important positive impact on economic development. Energy intensity of GDP in Russia is among the highest of the world. It was 1.34 toe/1000 USD in 1992 and even increased up to 1996 (1.89 toe/1000 USD). Since 1997, energy intensity of GDP decreased slightly, and it was below 1992 levels for the first time in 2001. However, energy efficiency improvement proceeded at a much slower pace than in the Baltic States, where energy intensity was almost at the same level as in Russia at the beginning of the 1990s. The new energy strategy, however, seems to set higher priority on achieving energy efficiency improvements. © Springer Berlin - Heidelberg 2005.