Factors of regional development in the context of energy efficiency: the example of the regions of the Northwestern Federal District

The article analyzes factors of regional economic development in the context of energy efficiency, using the example of regions in the Northwestern Federal District (NWFD). The study identifies key groups of factors: resource-production, infrastructural, institutional-management, technological, and socio-economic. Dominant factors for specific NWFD regions are highlighted, such as technological and innovative for Saint Petersburg, and natural-resource and infrastructural for the Kaliningrad Region. A connection between factor groups and energy performance is established, leading to the formation of key development factors in the context of energy efficiency. Analysis of regional differences reveals that improving energy efficiency is a unifying task across all territories, despite the diversity of dominant factors. Integrating energy efficiency into regional strategies maximizes the potential of various factors, transforming them from local advantages into systemic drivers of development. The findings emphasize the need to consider energy efficiency in regional policy planning.