Transformation of the energy sector in the cloud

25 September 2020 | Knowledge, News

In order to adapt to ever-changing regulatory, political, cost and consumer demand environments, the energy sector needs cloud computing. The new draft act may boost the process of implementing cloud computing solutions, but what changes will the amended regulations bring? – Wojciech Wrochna, Partner, and Head of Energy at Kochański & Partners explains.

Energy in the clouds

More and more entities from the energy industry manage their resources using cloud computing. The global market of solutions enabling management digitisation is estimated to reach USD 64 billion in 2025 (compared to USD 52 billion in 2018).

The key function of cloud computing in the energy sector is the centralization of infrastructure management. Specialist display units provide not only an insight into the IT and business environments, but also enable checking the status and availability of applications, and monitoring major events. This is particularly important for entities from the energy sector to swiftly respond to infrastructure analyses and generate reports.

Cloud solutions also offer a number of other benefits to the energy sector, in particular optimisation of company performance via the fusing of physical operations and IT infrastructure whilst reducing costs. These also streamline the internal decision-making process allowing companies to more quickly adjust to market fluctuations and energy demand changes.

Importantly, investments in IT infrastructure are not required to implement cloud computing in the energy industry – it can be done relatively quickly and seamlessly, maintaining business continuity during the process.

Opportunities and challenges

Complex or, on the contrary, missing legal regulations constitute a major barrier to a broad use of cloud technology in the energy industry.

One solution to the above may be the amendment to the Energy Law Act of 1997, which is presently underway, introducing – inter alia – smart metering provisions and establishing the institution of a so-called energy market information operator.

“The draft act provides for the obligation of a distribution system operator to install remote reading meters connected to a remote reading system at metering points. Such installation should be completed by 31 December 2028. The amendment also regulates the metering data and information transfer obligations of energy system operators and energy trading companies towards an energy market information operator. This will enable the correct assignment of individual events and metering information to specific consumers,” states Wojciech Wrochna, LL.M., Partner, and Head of Energy, Natural Resources & Chemicals at Kochański & Partners.

Cybersecurity is a key enabler for any technology project. Therefore, energy system operators and an energy market information operator must apply technical and organisational measures ensuring that processed metering information are protected, including against loss, damage, destruction or unauthorised access.

“The new regulations will contribute to the further development of the energy market and ensure uninterrupted access to electricity, enabling consumers to pay for electricity according to actual consumption, whilst metering data will be properly protected. Another positive effect of the proposed solutions will be an improved electricity consumption efficiency in households and, ultimately, a higher energy efficiency of the economy,” adds Wojciech Wrochna.

Latest Knowledge

Announcement of Income Tax Reform

On 19 August, during a press conference, the Prime Minister announced a package of tax changes planned for next year. According to the announcement, the reform is intended, on the one hand, to ease the burden on the middle class and, on the other, to shift a greater fiscal burden onto the wealthiest individuals and the largest companies. We take a look at the proposals included in the announced package and explain what they might mean for taxpayers.

Family foundations and the tax authorities: what draft bill UD447 proposes and why this is not the end of the troubles

Family foundations were intended to provide entrepreneurs with a stable framework for intergenerational wealth management. Yet not even four years have passed since the first such foundations were established, and the rules governing their taxation are set to be changed once again. This is because the scale of interest and the practical problems uncovered have overwhelmed the drafters of the legislation, as best illustrated by the figures – 927 applications for individual tax rulings and 77 opinions issued from the Head of the National Revenue Administration. This does not, however, mean that family foundations are being used on a massive scale for aggressive tax optimisation. A significant proportion of the queries concerned simply how to correctly apply the complex regulations.

NIS2 and the National Cybersecurity System Act in transport: what you need to do before October 2026

The amended Act on the National Cybersecurity System (UKSC) has been in force since 3 April 2026. For transport sector undertakings, this means a specific compliance timeline, including an obligation to register with the National Cybersecurity System (KSC) registry by 3 October 2026. Failure to do so may result in substantial financial penalties, coupled with the risk of personal liability for senior management. Not every undertaking, however, automatically falls within the scope of the new regime. Read on to find out whether your organisation is affected and what you need to do before the deadline for preparation.

Family foundations: the government has done the maths and presented the bill

Three years. That’s how long we’ve been waiting for what the Council of Ministers had seen in the data from the outset – and has now disclosed in its review of the Family Foundation Act. The document not only diagnoses the problems, but also previews substantial changes to rules that founders and their advisers treated as settled and stable. And therein lies a problem that goes far beyond tax matters. If the rules of the game are changed while the game is being played, there can be neither planning stability nor trust in the law. It is no coincidence that one of the greatest concerns among entrepreneurs considering setting up a foundation is not the level of taxation, but the stability of the legal framework – which today is once again being called into question.

What the new swiss franc act means for banks

We now have a new Act on Special Measures for the Adjudication of Cases Concerning Loan Agreements Denominated in or Indexed to the Swiss Franc. The provisions come into force 14 days after publication. So now is a good time to look at what lies ahead and what banks should be doing today.

New draft Pay Transparency Act – what has changed since December 2025?

A second version of the draft act on strengthening the application of the right to equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women has now been published. It refines procedures and deadlines and introduces a new supervisory body. We have already discussed the changes affecting the recruitment stage and the three pillars of the forthcoming pay transparency framework, noting that Poland will miss the EU transposition deadline of 7 June 2026. Now, we take a closer look at the further changes, new developments and risks that have emerged in the latest, April version of the draft.

Payment Services Regulation (PSR) – between consumer protection and due diligence

The draft Payment Services Regulation (PSR) is one of the most significant elements of the reform of the EU legal framework for payment services. Its principal aim is to enhance the security of cashless transactions and to reduce the scale of financial fraud, in particular that arising from the growth of digital channels. At the same time, the new rules are intended to introduce a liability model that will not result in risk being transferred entirely to financial institutions, whilst retaining an important role for independent due diligence on the part of the user.

Energy deregulation – key changes for businesses and energy consumers

The President has now signed the Energy Deregulation Act (UDER92). The new provisions cover both the relationships between energy undertakings and consumers, and matters relating to investment, district heating, and the administrative obligations of energy market participants. The Act introduces changes in the areas of billing, communication with consumers, grid connection, and the operations of undertakings in the energy and district heating sectors. We set out the key points to note.

Banking sector overview | Banking today and tomorrow | July 2026

Under the draft legislation, banks will be required to offer existing borrowers a switch from WIBOR-based to POLSTR-based interest rates, a mechanism intended to speed up the voluntary transition of financial instruments to the new benchmark. The banking sector has responded positively to the proposal, according to Tadeusz Białek, President of the Polish Bank Association.