The article provides methodological tools that allow to carry out a socio-ecological and economic assessment of the balance of regions in the development of renewable (alternative) energy sources. When forecasting the development of renewable energy in the region, it was taken into account that, unlike fossil fuel-based energy, it does not have a significant impact on the environment, since it uses material and energy flows circulating in natural systems. During the study, it was found that only one transition to renewable energy sources will not allow achieving carbon balance in the regions. The landscape features of the region significantly affect the possibility of its conservation. Therefore, in each region, it will be necessary to identify the area of territories with a special nature conservation status that will allow maintaining the carbon cycle. Methodological tools were tested on the example of the Chelyabinsk region of the Russian Federation. As a result, it was found to maintain a balanced carbon cycle, it will be necessary to increase the share of natural steppes to 49.1% of the total area of the region, and achieve the value of renewable energy in the regional energy balance up to 93%.
The study took into account that renewable energy does not change the biospheric material and energy flows, which ensures the achievement of a general balance. To assess it, a special indicator of balance was used, which characterizes the ratio in energy indicators between industrial activity in the region and the state of its ecosystems. In addition, the need of carbon cycle preservation, which may be disturbed due to the peculiarities of the ecosystems of the regions, was taken into account. It was set that due to the existence of large areas of forest and swamp ecosystems, in all Far Eastern Federal District regions, ecosystems are effective absorbers of carbon dioxide. The total absorption of carbon dioxide in the district is 810.98 million tons. In nine regions of the District, industrial activity and ecosystems are in a balanced state in terms of energy indicators: in the Amur and Magadan Oblast, Khabarovsk, Kamchatka and Zabaykalsky Krai, the Republic of Buryatia and Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The balance indicator in Primorsky Krai and the Sakhalin Oblast is greater than one, which indicates a violation of the balance. To achieve it in these regions, it will be necessary to increase the share of renewable energy in regional energy balances to 50% and 21%, respectively.
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