ENERGY MANAGEMENT – PUBLIC POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATION. THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS, FROM OVERLAP TO SYNERGY

Energy management refers to all activities aimed to improve the effectiveness of the production, transport, distribution and use of energy. On the supply side of the chain, the number of actors is relatively limited, and either the competitive pressure or the regulation of natural monopolies leads to increased efficiency. On the demand, side the number of actors is enormous (all consumers, from large industries to households). Therefore, specific policies for improving energy efficiency have to be put în place. And those policies strongly interfere with environmental and social policies. The role of institutions and particularly of the public administration is very important and should lead by example. At the same time, given the potential overlaps, it is important to ensure that the public institutions involved have well defined functions and liaise with each other în a way to exploit synergies. Various ministries, agencies, local authorities, NGOs are involved and sometimes do what other public actors should do, and not enough of what they realy should do. Even în countries with over twenty years of experience în this field, there is a need to improve the performance of public administration, to reform the functions and ways of operation of the various institutions. The current paper will present approaches of public authorities to energy efficiency în various EU countries and identify key success factors for securing effective policy development and implementation.