CHANGE IN NATURAL GAS UTILISATION IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT IN POLAND

The energy transformation requires a change in the structure of the energy used. The article aims to determine the role of natural gas as a transition fuel in the European Union and Poland's energy policy in the context of the promoted sustainable development policy. In the analysed docu-ments presenting visions of energy policy, a differentiated approach to the effects of using natural gas is observed. The possible effects of using natural gas in Poland's energy mix were analysed and eval- uated. The study used the method of research document analysis. Six attributes of sustainable energy management and the relations between them were considered. The main results are as follows: 1. natural gas as an energy carrier does not fulfil the requirements of sustainable energy management, 2. from the point of view of utilisation effects, the use of natural gas for power generation purposes is better than using other fossil fuels, 3. in RES and nuclear energy development conditions, using natural gas for power generation will decrease, which should bring positive results for sustainable energy management. The main conclusion is the energy transition is mainly driven by political factors. There-fore, the energy carriers' sustainable management issue shall be approached comprehensively.