Our research concentrates primarily on the empirical analysis of interregional and intertemporal economic structural change, on the sources of and constraints on economic growth, on problems of adaptation to sudden changes, and especially on problems arising from changing patterns of international trade, resource availability, and technology. In this paper one of the long-standing industries and the impact of its technological changes on energy consumption are considered. Econometric analysis of cross-country and time-series data helps to reveal the impact which is widely discussed in detailed engineering reports.