Assessment of the Modern Territorial Organization and Development Priorities of the Transition to Green Energy in the East Zangezur Economic Region

Abstract

The transition to green energy in the East Zangezur economic region represents a strategic shift in Azerbaijan’s national energy policy, promoting efficient use of renewable resources, sustainable economic growth, environmental restoration, and international cooperation. Green energy projects generate significant socio-economic benefits by creating jobs, enhancing local employment, strengthening human capital through high-tech infrastructure, and diversifying energy production to ensure market stability and economic independence. Environmentally, this policy reduces carbon emissions—small hydropower plants alone prevented 225,000 tons of CO₂ emissions in 2024—while minimizing ecological risks and supporting biodiversity. The integration of solar and hydropower further improves grid stability, making green energy transition a comprehensive model of technological, social, and ecological development. Thus, the green energy transition in the East Zangezur economic region is a multidimensional development model encompassing technological innovation, social welfare, ecological restoration, and international integration.