Prosumer Energy Development in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship: Analysis of Growth Factors and Assessment of Barriers
Purpose: The main goal of this article is to assess the dynamics and scale of prosumer energy development in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship between 2019 and 2024, against the backdrop of national trends, and to identify key factors driving and inhibiting this development. The study aims to explain an intriguing paradox: why the region, which is a national leader in large-scale renewable energy production (exceeding 105% of annual consumption in 2023), demonstrates relatively low prosumer energy development dynamics. Design/Methodology/Approach: The article is based on a quantitative, longitudinal research project using the secondary data analysis method (case study). study from the period 2019–2024. Data comes from official public sources, including reports from the Energy Regulatory Office (ERO), the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW), and the Regional Spatial Management Office of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship (RBGPWZ).). The analytical strategy includes descriptive statistics, time trend analysis, and comparative analysis (benchmarking), including calculations of per capita indicators. Due to the limitations of URE data, in the comparative analysis the data for Enea Operator were adopted as a proxy for the situation in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Findings: The analysis empirically confirmed the phenomenon of the "two-speed energy transition." Despite success on a macro scale, the share of micro-installations in the total renewable energy capacity in the voivodeship was only 11.5% at the end of 2023, which is significantly lower than the national average (exceeding 38%). The growth rate of the number of prosumers in the area served by Enea Operator (73.6% in 2021-2024) was lower than the national average (79.7%). A key symptom of structural problems is the low absorption of financial resources: the voivodeship ranked 15th in the country in terms of the number of applications submitted under the "Mój Prąd 5.0" program per 1,000 inhabitants. The main barriers hindering the development of prosumerism in the region are: (1) infrastructural limitations related to the insufficient capacity of the low-voltage distribution grid; and (2) regulatory instability at the national level (change of the settlement system to net-billing in 2022), which significantly reduced the profitability of investments and undermined investor confidence. Practical Implications: The conclusions provide recommendations for three key stakeholder groups. National decision-makers should ensure regulatory stability and predictability and more closely integrate support programmes (e.g., "Mój Prąd") with distribution grid modernisation plans, while promoting the flexibility services market. Regional authorities should develop a detailed regional strategy for the development of prosumerism and actively support civic energy communities. The Distribution System Operator (Enea Operator) must accelerate and prioritise investments in the low-voltage grid to unblock bottlenecks and increase the transparency of development plans. Originality/Value: This study fills a gap in the national literature by providing quantitative evidence of how systemic infrastructural and regulatory barriers manifest at the regional level, hindering the grassroots potential of prosumerism. These results provide a unique case study that demonstrates that success in the transition to energy at the macro (corporate) level does not automatically translate into the development of community energy and that policies based solely on financial incentives (such as "Mój Prąd") are ineffective when faced with hard network barriers.