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Managing Energy Sector Enterprises: Challenges, Methods and Research Trends: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "C: Energy Economics and Policy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2025 | Viewed by 7938

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Strategic Analysis, College of Management Sciences and Quality, Cracow University of Economics, 27 Rakowicka St., 31-510 Krakow, Poland
Interests: methodology of management sciences; strategic management; management in energy companies; organizational audit; methods and techniques for solving an organization's problems

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Guest Editor
Law Faculty, Vilnius University, LT - 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
Interests: shadow economy; corruption
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Guest Editor
Management Department, WSB University, Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland
Interests: methodology of management sciences; research methods; strategic management; implementation of methods in industrial enterprises

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Guest Editor
Department of Strategic Analysis, College of Management Sciences and Quality, Cracow University of Economics, 27 Rakowicka St., 31-510 Krakow, Poland
Interests: methodology of management sciences; research methods; strategic management; research approaches to energy sector
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many years ago, referring to the field of social management, Kurt Lewin (1945, p. 129) argued: “Nothing is as practical as a good theory”. Six decades later, Sumantra Ghoshal (2005, p. 86) claimed with regard to management sciences that the opposite is also true: “Nothing is as dangerous as a bad theory”. These two arguments stress that theorists should attempt to propose novel ideas for conceptualizing or understanding problematic situations, ideas, which may suggest possibly rewarding new paths of dealing with such situations. By contrast, applied researchers are expected to supply theorists with vital information appropriate for practical problem solving. This Special Issue calls for both conceptual and practical research papers in management sciences from the perspective of energy sector companies.

Creating appropriate theory of managing energy sector enterprises is very demanding and challenging in these turbulent times. The energy sector involves companies engaged in the production and sale of energy, such as fuel extraction, manufacturing, refining, and distribution. Companies belonging to the energy sector are very diverse and range from traditional (oil and gas, coal-based) to more innovative ones utilizing nuclear, thermal, hydro, solar or wind power. Of importance are also stakeholders of energy companies with various, often very interdependent and conflicting demands on this type of firms. The energy sector constitutes an essential part of the infrastructure and maintenance of societies, leading to an increase in the number of firms entering this attractive but also very demanding business field. Many factors do influence running energy companies. To ensure their success, managers are striving to find solutions to emerging problems both in strategic and operational areas. Issues related to strategic management, organizational restructuring, marketing, innovations management, and finance management are of importance today to every organization operating in the energy sector.

How can we then select the appropriate methods for problem solving in energy firms? How can we deal with stakeholders on the company, contractors, customer, and government level? What are the current challenges and research trends in managing energy sector enterprises? What business models are utilized by this type of firms? These are some of the questions that are raised by this Special Issue. Moreover, good theory needs robust and appropriate research methods tailored to the investigated scientific problem. The methodology of management sciences plays a crucial role here and needs further development to effectively design and manage energy companies. It is largely dependent on culture, which leads to the development of various organizational solutions leading to the existence of “best practices” of managing energy firms. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data solutions contribute to research methods on management and energy but are also used in practice to support decision processes. International scientific collaboration is essential in developing and integrating various perspectives on management, offering innovative and up-to-date solutions. These are some, but not all of the theoretical and methodological issues being covered in this Special Issue. High-quality papers based on robust research methodology are warmly welcome to this issue.

Dr. Gracjana Noga
Prof. Dr. Rita Remeikienė
Prof. Dr. Marek Lisiński
Prof. Dr. Marek Szarucki
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • energy sector companies 
  • organization and management 
  • strategic management 
  • innovations management 
  • organizational restructuring 
  • strategy 
  • stakeholders
  • systems management 
  • business models
  • international management 
  • marketing 
  • managerial accounting 
  • risk management
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) 
  • research methods 
  • big data analysis 
  • comparative analysis 
  • bibliometric analysis 
  • systematic literature review

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 869 KiB  
Article
Assessing Renewable Energy Growth in the European Union
by Romualdas Ginevičius, Gracjana Noga, Vladislavas Petraškevičius, Eigirdas Žemaitis and Miloslav Novotný
Energies 2025, 18(7), 1688; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18071688 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 250
Abstract
As the world’s ecological situation worsens, the development of environmentally friendly renewable energy (RE) is becoming increasingly important. The main directions of scientific research devoted to the topic of RE are national socio-economic development of the country; development in the context of sustainable [...] Read more.
As the world’s ecological situation worsens, the development of environmentally friendly renewable energy (RE) is becoming increasingly important. The main directions of scientific research devoted to the topic of RE are national socio-economic development of the country; development in the context of sustainable development; development policy and planning; evaluation of the achieved level of development; the situation in individual countries, etc. The analysis of literature sources conducted in this article shows that problems related to RE have not been sufficiently examined at the country or regional level, including in European Union (EU) countries. Such analysis helps to highlight regularities that are important for the further development of RE. The main purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive methodology for the quantitative assessment of RE development during the period under review and to validate it using the example of EU countries. The present research was conducted based on the methodology proposed in this article. In order to adequately assess the development of RE, it is necessary to rely on its scale and changes that occurred during the considered period (CP), i.e., to examine this development as a process. It is reflected by two parameters—the intensity of development and uniformity. The first is determined based on a value that assesses not the RE activeness at the end of the CP, but the general nature of the fluctuations that occurred during it. The uniformity of development is the sum of the ratios of its ideal and actual development values at the end of the time periods (years). The generalized RE development index is obtained by combining the values of the above parameters in an appropriate way. This helped to highlight the regularities and trends in the further development of RE: First, the level of economic development achieved by the country, measured by the gross domestic product per capita (correlation coefficient r = 0.7), has a significant influence on the development of RE. Second, on average, developed EU countries produce 52% of the RE from all electricity production, while for developing EU countries, the figure is 42%. Third, the development of RE is 1.7 times faster in developed EU countries compared to developing EU countries. Fourth, the country’s economic development has a significant influence on the development of RE in developing countries. Based on the research conducted, some contradictory results regarding the interaction between RE and countries’ economic development have been clarified. The practical benefit of the methodology is manifested in the following aspects: allows for the identification of factors that promote or hinder RE development; allows for the prediction of measures for further RE development. Thus, the methodology can serve as a methodological basis for the assessment and analysis of RE development in countries. Full article
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16 pages, 909 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Risks of Voltage Quality Decline in Load Nodes of Power Systems
by Pylyp Hovorov, Roman Trishch, Romualdas Ginevičius, Vladislavas Petraškevičius and Karel Šuhajda
Energies 2025, 18(7), 1579; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18071579 - 21 Mar 2025
Viewed by 263
Abstract
The results of numerous studies show that the control of power grid modes is carried out mainly using a technical criterion. The economic criterion is taken into account through the use of complex and inaccurate models that do not accurately predict the result. [...] Read more.
The results of numerous studies show that the control of power grid modes is carried out mainly using a technical criterion. The economic criterion is taken into account through the use of complex and inaccurate models that do not accurately predict the result. The emergence of market relations in the energy sector makes power systems economic entities in terms of production and satisfaction of demand for electricity by various economic entities (industry, households, businesses, etc.). Under these conditions, electricity is a commodity with a corresponding price and quality indicators. This requires the application of the risk assessment methodology as an economic category in the activities of power systems as a business entity. The methodology of risk assessment in market conditions requires business entities to search for methods to minimize risk as a possibility of adverse events. Under these conditions, it becomes possible to make the best management decisions regarding the most important criterion that reflects the interests of business entities at a given time. However, the imperfection of the relevant methodology for risk assessment in the energy sector delays their application in the industry. At the same time, when making management decisions, three possible levels can be distinguished: decision-making in conditions of certainty, when the result is presented in a deterministic form and can be determined in advance; decision-making under conditions of risk, when the outcome cannot be determined in advance, but there is information on the probability of distribution of possible consequences; decision-making in conditions where the outcome is random and there is no information about the consequences of the decision. An analysis of scientific publications shows that some authors’ works are devoted to solving the issues of applying the theory and principles of risks in the energy sector, in which the problem is solved only at the first two levels. At the same time, the operation of energy facilities is characterized by a high level of uncertainty and incomplete information about the consequences of such decisions. Therefore, the development of a methodology for making management decisions in the energy sector based on the theory and practice of risks, taking into account the high level of uncertainty and incomplete information, is an urgent scientific task. Implementation of algorithms and programs for controlling the modes of power grids based on them can meet the requirements for reliable and high-quality energy supply to the most demanding consumers and create favorable conditions for their business. This work is devoted to the development of scientific and methodological foundations for determining the voltage risk in power system networks, taking into account the uncertain nature of the loads and its impact on consumers. Based on the results of the study, a mathematical model of the risk of voltage collapses in networks, an algorithm and a methodology for its calculation were proposed. Full article
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20 pages, 1080 KiB  
Article
Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence for Collaborative Energy Optimization Platforms
by Adam Stecyk and Ireneusz Miciuła
Energies 2023, 16(13), 5210; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16135210 - 6 Jul 2023
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4501
Abstract
This scientific paper highlights the critical significance of energy in driving sustainable development and explores the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in shaping the future of energy systems. As the world faces mounting challenges in meeting growing energy demands while minimizing [...] Read more.
This scientific paper highlights the critical significance of energy in driving sustainable development and explores the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in shaping the future of energy systems. As the world faces mounting challenges in meeting growing energy demands while minimizing environmental impact, there is a pressing need for innovative solutions that can optimize energy generation, distribution, and consumption. AI tools, with their ability to analyse vast amounts of data and make intelligent decisions, have emerged as a promising avenue for advancing energy systems towards greater efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. This paper underscores the importance of energy in sustainable development and investigates how AI tools can catalyse the next phase of human civilization. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the Collaborative Energy Optimization Platform (CEOP), an innovative model that utilizes AI algorithms in an integrated manner. The review of the CEOP model is based on an in-depth analysis of existing literature, research papers, and industry reports. The methodology encompasses a systematic review of the model’s key features, including collaboration, data-sharing, and AI algorithm integration. The conducted research demonstrates the effectiveness of applying MCDM methods, specifically fuzzy AHP and TOPSIS, in evaluating and ranking the performance of five Collaborative Energy Optimization Platforms (CEOP models) across 20 sub-criteria. The findings emphasize the need for a comprehensive and holistic approach in assessing AI-based energy optimization systems. The research provides valuable insights for decision-makers and researchers in the field, fostering the development and implementation of more efficient and sustainable AI-powered energy systems. Full article
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29 pages, 389 KiB  
Article
Determinants of the Corporate Financing Structure in the Energy and Mining Sectors; A Comparative Analysis Based on the Example of Selected EU Countries for 2012–2020
by Jacek Barburski and Artur Hołda
Energies 2023, 16(12), 4692; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16124692 - 13 Jun 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2129
Abstract
The main aim of the paper is to examine the interdependence of corporate financing structure on selected determinants in the energy and mining sectors of the economy. In addition, a comparison of the results between these economic sectors is made. In order to [...] Read more.
The main aim of the paper is to examine the interdependence of corporate financing structure on selected determinants in the energy and mining sectors of the economy. In addition, a comparison of the results between these economic sectors is made. In order to increase the representativeness of the sample, countries from both the “old” European Union (Germany, France, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, and Sweden) and newly admitted countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Bulgaria) were included in the study. The research used data from the Orbis database for 2012–2020. A one-factor linear panel model was used to verify the hypotheses. The research partly confirmed the hypotheses. A negative relationship between the financing structure and profitability in both analysed sections was clearly established. The second determinant whose influence on the financing structure in both sections was found to be unambiguous was the ratio of current liabilities to current assets. However, this influence was positive. Another determinant whose influence on the financing structure was confirmed to be unequivocal and positive in nature was the size of the company. This occurred only in the energy sector. The research revealed that other determinants, such as asset structure, interest, and noninterest tax shields, also affect the financing structure of companies, but the statistical significance of these relationships is ambiguous. Full article
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