Current stance
Poland’s contemporary energy policy has been primarily shaped by the strive to reduce and ultimately eliminate its dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports. This strategy was fully implemented following the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, Poland managed to terminate its imports of Russian gas, oil and coal, replacing them with diversified supplies such as Norwegian gas delivered through the Baltic Pipe (completed in 2022), liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States, Qatar, and other suppliers. Additional inflows were enabled by interconnectors with Lithuania and other neighboring states.
Despite diversification from Russia achievements, highly polluting coal remains the dominant fuel in Poland’s energy mix, particularly in electricity generation and district heating. In 2022, coal accounted for approximately 70% of electricity production, though this share had decreased to 57% by 2024. Current policy frameworks envisage the gradual phase-out of coal by 2049, with natural gas serving as a transitional fuel, especially in combined heat and power plants where renewable alternatives are limited.
As for the future, Poland’s energy transition rests on three interlinked priorities. First, energy security, guaranteed by further diversification of supply routes and establishment of the capacity mechanisms necessary to maintain system’s stability. Second, transition to the green energy, led by the deployment of offshore wind, large-scale photovoltaics, and the exploration of small modular reactors (SMRs). Third, energy affordability, through instruments such as regulated retail prices, subsidies for vulnerable consumers, and the gradual introduction of dynamic pricing markets.
Role of the new President
In recent years Polish government launched important support schemes for energy storage, introduced new subsidy mechanisms (e.g. contracts-for-difference auctions) for offshore wind, and secured EU backing for reforms of the district heating sector. It has also notified the European Commission of state aid for its first nuclear power plant, to be built on the Baltic coast by 2040.
However, Poland’s political scene has become a source of competing visions for the future. The newly elected president, recently vetoed legislation that would have relaxed restrictions on building onshore wind farms. He has instead championed energy sovereignty built on nuclear power and continued use of fossil fuels, criticizing the EU’s climate policy as harmful to Polish households and workers. The government, in contrast, is pressing ahead with measures to expand renewables and attract investment. This tension between president and parliament could shape the pace of Poland’s energy transition in the years ahead.
Achievements during the EU Presidency
In 2025 Poland assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, placing it at the center of continental debates on climate and energy policy. The timing was crucial, coinciding with negotiations on the EU’s 2040 climate target, the Clean Industrial Deal, and the next EU budget.
Energy security was a top priority for Warsaw, and the presidency delivered notable achievements. The European Commission, with Polish backing, adopted the RePowerEU Roadmap, which sets a clear timetable for eliminating all Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027. The presidency also brokered an agreement to extend EU gas storage rules until 2027, maintaining the requirement that facilities be filled to 90% ahead of winter while allowing flexibility to avoid price spikes.
Equally significant was the adoption of the Action Plan for Affordable Energy, a package of measures intended to lower energy costs for households and businesses. On Poland’s initiative, EU leaders also agreed to increase free emission allowances for the district heating sector by 30 percent—an important concession for Warsaw, given its heavy reliance on coal-fired heat.
Importance for the Baltic region
Highly important achievement that would not be possible without contribution of Poland and its grid was the completion of synchronization between the Baltic States and Continental European Network. Completed in February 2025 synchronization enabled Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to disconnect from the Russian led BRELL system once and for all. The project, backed by €1.6 billion in EU funds, required extensive upgrades in Poland ant the Baltic States: hundreds of kilometers of new transmission lines, substations, and synchronous compensators were built or modernized. The achievement marked the end of a dependency that had lasted for more than six decades, during which the Baltic States’ frequency control was managed by Russia.
Poland’s role in the region goes beyond synchronization. Offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea—such as Baltic Power, now under construction—are poised to supply millions of households. Interconnectors with Lithuania and future links to Germany will further weave the Baltics into the European market. Finally, Poland due to its geography, experience and market size is crucial for the Baltic hydrogen strategy. Significant Polish political leverage makes neighboring states hope that the EU funding will be secured and ambitions of reaching wider European hydrogen markets one day will come truth.
Arūnas Molis
Dr., Partnership Professor
Vytautas Magnus University
Kaunas
Lithuania
arunas.molis@vdu.lt
Back to Table of Contents