Economic mechanism of ensuring regional energy safety of the Republic of Belarus

Abstract

Objective: to shape a theoretical model of the economic mechanism ensuring regional energy security.Methods: general scientific, statistical, systemic, logical, process approaches.Results: solving the problem of energy security of the state is one of the most important directions of economic policy under the increasing threats to the energy infrastructure of the Republic of Belarus. To achieve the study objective, the authors clarified the concept and identified the main threats to regional energy security. It was found that the indicators used to assess the energy security system today are largely outdated, therefore the authors proposed a system of indicators consisting of 30 indicators and an integral indicator. The authors also proposed a theoretical model of the economic mechanism for ensuring regional energy security, which implies a sequence of actions, indicates deadlines and performers at each stage of implementation. The stages include: monitoring (assessment) of the current state of regional energy security; analysis of risks and threats to regional energy security; determination of the minimum and maximum level of regional energy security; justification of directions for improving regional energy security; formation of action plans to improve regional energy security; implementation of measures to strengthen regional energy security. The risks and threats to regional energy security were analyzed by interviewing representatives of regional energy systems, based on which the main directions for improving the level of regional energy security were determined.Scientific novelty: based on the existing methodological approaches to the assessment of energy security in the state, the authors developed a new theoretical model of the economic mechanism ensuring regional energy security of the Republic of Belarus. The system of energy security indicators was developed, which differs from the generally accepted one in terms of introducing an additional block of socio-ecological indicators and combining groups of production, financial and informational indicators.Practical significance: the model application will strengthen the regional energy security of the Republic of Belarus. The measures developed on the basis of the authors’ mechanism to improve energy security should be included in regional sets of measures to implement state five-year programs, financed by local budgets at the level of Belarus regions and Minsk. The methodological provisions for calculating the integral indicator and analyzing the risks and threats to energy security can be used in the development of a new version of the Concept of energy security of the Republic of Belarus.