APPLICATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE EVALUATION OF INVESTMENT PROGRAMS AND IMPROVEMENT OF TARIFF MECHANISMS IN THE GAS SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

Abstract

The study develops an integrated toolkit for evaluating investment programs in gas supply and distribution systems by linking conventional financial and technical indicators with the energy characteristics of natural gas. The approach incorporates calorific value into the assessment framework, allowing supplied or preserved gas volumes to be converted into comparable energy units. Investment efficiency is therefore assessed not only through costs, volumes and system losses, but also through the energy value delivered to consumers. Artificial intelligence and data analytics are treated as supporting instruments for processing multidimensional data, forecasting demand, detecting relationships among variables and comparing investment scenarios. The proposed framework can strengthen the justification of investment priorities and support more transparent tariff-related decisions.