Comparison of the Financial Standing of Companies Generating Electricity from Renewable Sources and Fossil Fuels: A New Hybrid Approach

Abstract

Companies operating in the energy sector are under pressure to boost the level of green energy production. The use of renewable energy sources will have a positive impact on the environment, but the basic question is whether power plants that produce electricity using renewable energy sources are in better financial condition than those that use only traditional energy sources. We address the latter using a new hybrid approach that extends prior research by combining three analyses: ratio analysis with a large set of indicators, the Altman model and cluster analysis. To test the statistical significance of differences between groups, Student’s t-test is applied. The sample concerns companies from the Baltic States and Central Europe in the years 2008–2017. The results indicate that in most cases there is no statistical difference in the financial standing of companies that use renewable energy sources and those that generate only fossil fuel-based energy.