**1. Introduction**

In the current era of globalization and economic growth, increased production and consumption leads to higher energy production levels. Energy usage plays a substantial role in globalization processes, thus leading to unsustainability through the use of natural resources on a large scale [1,2]. The continuous increase in energy demand means

**Citation:** Iglinski, B.; Flisikowski, K.; Pietrzak, M.B.; Kiełkowska, U.; Skrzatek, M.; Zyadin, A.; Natarajan, K. Renewable Energy in the Pomerania Voivodeship— Institutional, Economic, Environmental and Physical Aspects in Light of EU Energy Transformation. *Energies* **2021**, *14*, 8221. https:// doi.org/10.3390/en14248221

Academic Editors: Adrian Ilinca and Dalia Štreimikiene˙

Received: 21 October 2021 Accepted: 3 December 2021 Published: 7 December 2021

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that the most frequently used energy sources are no longer sufficient. Energy from nonrenewable sources has become more expensive, harmful for the environment, and thus less profitable [3,4]. This situation creates the perfect conditions for an intensive energy transformation in developing countries [5,6]. The shift to a "green economy" has become a global phenomenon and is based on the effective consumption of energy and the gradual replacement of fossil fuels with clean energy sources [7]. This process is understood as a transformation from the current energy system using fossil fuels to an energy system based mainly on low-emission and renewable sources. It includes the gradual replacement of exhaustible hydrocarbons and uranium fuel by renewable energy (RE) in almost all sectors of the economy (transport, industry, energy, heating, construction, agriculture, etc.).

For the EU countries, the transformation of the energy system has become an important strategic goal, the implementation of which will allow for increased energy security and the improved investment attractiveness of the economies of the Member States [1,2]. This transformation, however, is being processed through the institutional system first [8–11]. The future structure of electricity generation is determined in the context of trends in the EU climate policies [12]. Poland, which entered the EU in 2004, adapted and integrated its institutional model [13]. New member states such as Poland have made a commitment to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and by participating in the climate policy of the EU [14]. The EU is fighting climate change through very ambitious policies. Currently, the EU is on track to reduce gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 ("2030 Climate Target Plan"). By 2050, Europe aims to become the first climate-neutral continent ("European Climate Law"). These are the short-term goals, and the long-term aim within Europe is to become a climate-neutral economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Among many key targets for 2030, the most important are as follows: at least 40% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions (from 1990 levels), at least 32% share for RE, and at least 32.5% improvement in energy efficiency. The 2030 package includes a higher renewables target and new rules to support the expansion of renewables. The EU increased its greenhouse gases emissions reduction target for 2030 from 40% to 55% and the RE target from 32% to 40%. This means that the EU will need 451 GW of wind power capacity by 2030, an increase from the current value of 180 GW. The long-term strategy is in line with the EU's commitment to global climate action under the European Green Deal and Paris Agreement (a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming). Both of these acts seek to address climate change and environmental degradation. From a long-term perspective, the EU is to be transformed into a modern, resource-efficient, and competitive economy, ensuring no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050, economic growth decoupled from resource use, and no person and no place left behind.

European integration processes, amplified by overall globalization in the background, have led to improved socio-economic and institutional situations in many states [15–21]. With time, the improved condition of the economies allowed the introduction of new, innovative RE projects [22–26]. Besides RE projects, since the early 2000s, many private investors and businesses have become the additional "engine" supporting the rapid growth of this market in Eastern Europe [26,27]. EU programs are usually organized on either commercial or hybrid models, subsidized by the governmen<sup>t</sup> or EU (with national or regional range). Thanks to such programs, and their national and regional institutions, new consumption attitudes in the field of RE have been popularized, and many new jobs have been created [28–30]. All these actions favor change in the structure of the labor market in Poland and in the EU in general—we can observe increased employment mobility [31–38]. The RE labor sector in Poland is one in which employment has been increasing for the last two decades [39–41]. It is expected that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the political and economic environment may not support the short-term expansion of the RE sector, but, from a long-term perspective, positive trends are forecasted [42,43]. Moreover, further growth in total energy consumption is predicted, representing a huge challenge for the RE market as well [44–46].

It should also be emphasized that the new EU climate policies and the rapid development of innovative RE technologies are implemented at the level of both countries and regions [47–49]. The RE market transformation should be based on the diversification of energy sources—they are not evenly geographically accessible [50]. Taking into account all of the aforementioned facts, we conclude that it is worth analyzing the regional potential first (at the Voivodeship level) and then evaluating individual sources of RE in light of EU requirements.

If we consider the energy sector in Poland, this country is only at the beginning of the energy transformation—most of the region's energy is still obtained from hard coal and lignite. At the end of September 2021, the installed capacity in all generation sources in Poland amounted to 53,274.6 MW. In conventional power plants, the country has 36,585.1 MW, and in RES installations, 15,276 MW. Only in September, 15,216.4 GWh of energy was produced in Poland, of which 12,775.4 GWh was generated by the conventional segmen<sup>t</sup> of the energy sector, and RES installations represented 2385.4 GWh [51].

The Pomerania Voivodeship is located is located in the northern part of the country and borders the Baltic Sea. It includes the following geographical units: Pobrzeze˙ Południowobałtyckie, Lakeland Pomorskie, and Zuławy. Its total area is 18,310 km ˙ 2. The population of the Voivodeship in 2019 amounted to 2,343,928 people and shows an upward trend. The population density was 128 people/km2. Most of the population lives in urbanized areas (63.5%) [52].

For these reasons, the aim of this study was to examine the current state, potential, and development prospects of the RE sector in the Pomerania (Pomorskie in Polish) Voivodeship in the context of energy transformation. To achieve this goal, PEST analysis regarding the development of RE in the Pomerania Voivodeship was used and the potential of the RE sector was determined using GIS tools on the basis of physical conditions. The article presents the research hypothesis that the Pomerania Voivodeship has an appropriate level of RE potential, which will allow this Voivodeship to become an energy self-sufficient region in line with the EU's short- and long-term strategy based on the use of RE. The implementation of the goal set in the article allowed for the verification of the research hypothesis regarding whether the potential amount of RE electricity would cover the Voivodeship's needs. Moreover, the results obtained confirm that the requirements of both the 2030 and 2050 EU acts are expected to be satisfied in terms of RE and the RE market's transformation.
