ORIGINAL PAPER
Accounting for financial costs in electric power companies: the role of accounting in cost optimization
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1
State University of Trade and Economics, Ukraine
2
Chernivtsi Institute of Trade and Economics of State University of Trade and Economics, Ukraine
Submission date: 2025-09-23
Final revision date: 2025-10-21
Acceptance date: 2025-11-03
Publication date: 2026-06-29
Polityka Energetyczna – Energy Policy Journal 2026;29(2):113-134
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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this work was to study the features of organizing the accounting of electric power companies within the framework of sustainable development. Within the framework of the study, information from the financial statements of companies from the United Kingdom and the United States was analyzed in comparison to the situation in Ukraine. It was concluded that energy companies implemented the ideas of sustainable development by reducing the carbon emission intensity and investing in alternative energy sources. Depending on the capacity of the companies, medium-term investments in green energy could have reached USD 11 billion, as in the case of Duke Energy, or USD 17 billion, in the case of ExxonMobil. Some companies, however, tried to adapt to changes in the energy market by optimizing investments or changing the focus. A reduction in annual investments from USD 7 billion to USD 1.5–2 billion was recorded at Shell, which also increased oil and gas production in response to the instability of the energy market. The redirection of investments was documented at DTEK, which allocated USD 1 billion to the development of critical infrastructure that had been damaged by hostilities. During the study, it was concluded that regardless of the type of costs, the effective managerial and financial accounting involved taking into account economic, environmental, social, and organizational factors. Quantitative and qualitative metrics for such accounting were also proposed, in particular, employee and community engagement, compliance with social standards of the supply chain, carbon footprint intensity, waste management, and so on.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The Authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
METADATA IN OTHER LANGUAGES:
Polish
Rachunkowość kosztów finansowych w przedsiębiorstwach energetycznych: rola rachunkowości w optymalizacji kosztów
rachunkowość, koszty finansowe, odpowiedzialność środowiskowa, zarządzanie finansowe, zarządzanie strategiczne, optymalizacja wykorzystania zasobów
Celem niniejszej pracy było zbadanie cech organizacji rachunkowości przedsiębiorstw energetycznych w kontekście zrównoważonego rozwoju. W ramach badania przeanalizowano informacje ze sprawozdań finansowych przedsiębiorstw z Wielkiej Brytanii i Stanów Zjednoczonych w porównaniu z sytuacją w Ukrainie. Stwierdzono, że przedsiębiorstwa energetyczne wdrażają idee zrównoważonego rozwoju poprzez redukcję intensywności emisji dwutlenku węgla i inwestowanie w alternatywne źródła energii. W zależności od potencjału przedsiębiorstw średnioterminowe inwestycje w zieloną energię mogłyby osiągnąć 11 mld USD, jak w przypadku Duke Energy, lub 17 mld USD – w przypadku ExxonMobil. Niektóre przedsiębiorstwa starały się jednak dostosować do zmian na rynku energii, optymalizując inwestycje lub zmieniając ich ukierunkowanie. Zmniejszenie rocznych inwestycji z 7 mld USD do 1,5–2 mld USD odnotowano w firmie Shell, która również zwiększyła wydobycie ropy naftowej i gazu w odpowiedzi na niestabilność rynku energii. Przekierowanie inwestycji udokumentowano w firmie DTEK, która przeznaczyła 1 mld USD na rozwój infrastruktury krytycznej zniszczonej w wyniku działań wojennych. W trakcie badania stwierdzono, że niezależnie od rodzaju kosztów skuteczna rachunkowość zarządcza i finansowa wymaga uwzględnienia czynników ekonomicznych, środowiskowych, społecznych i organizacyjnych. Zaproponowano również ilościowe i jakościowe wskaźniki takiej rachunkowości, w szczególności dotyczące zaangażowania pracowników i społeczności, przestrzegania standardów społecznych w łańcuchu dostaw, intensywności śladu węglowego, gospodarki odpadami itp.
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