Economic Assessment of Energy Security of the Regions of Kazakhstan

Due to the unstable geopolitical situation, inflation, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and rising oil and gas prices, the global energy crisis has worsened. The course towards greening the global economy requires an increase in the flow of investment and in the government support for the sector. The electric power industry occupies a key position in the energy-intensive economy of Kazakhstan. At the same time, the level of depreciation of fixed assets in energy sector is from 60% to 70%, there is also a lack of investment inflow, which reduces thermal efficiency, increases logistics costs for the delivery of energy raw materials, worsens the environmental situation, and prevents a further positive economic development of the country. The purpose of this study is to analyze the level of regional energy security (RES) based on an assessment of the performance of business entities in the energy sector of three large regions of Kazakhstan – Atyrau, Karaganda and Kyzylorda regions. This study used entropy-TOPSIS method to calculate the level of RES. The results showed that the Karaganda region has the highest level of RES. According to calculations, RES is positively affected by an increase in the volume of attracted investments and growth in electricity production. A negative impact is exerted by a high level of depreciation of fixed assets and the growth of the urban population.