Russian Energy Sector: Inertia Strategy or Efficiency Strategy?

Abstract

The paper presents a vision of Russian energy future before 2020. The scenario approach is required to identify potential energy supply and demand future trajectories for Russia facing uncertainties of both global energy system evolution and domestic demographic and economic development in 2007-2020. It allows for assessing energy demand by sectors under different investment, technological and energy pricing policies favoring the least cost balancing of energy supply options and energy efficiency improvements to sustain dynamic economic growth. The given approach provides grounds for evaluation of different energy policies effectiveness. Three scenarios - "Inertia Strategy", "Energy Centrism", and "Efficiency Strategy - Four I" - integral-innovative-intellectual-individual oriented energy systems - are considered in the paper. It shows that ignorance of the last scenario escalates either energy shortages in the country or Russian economy overloading with energy supply investments both preventing from sustaining rates of economic growth which have recently been demonstrated by Russia.