The purpose of the work is to study the current problems of the development of key branches of the processing industry, which are related to energy consumption, in particular, the consumption of electricity, and to search for opportunities to reduce the energy intensity of production at enterprises of the processing industry in the war and post-war period. In the process of working on the research, the methods of analysis and synthesis, dynamic series, theoretical generalization, comparison, and abstract-logical methods were used. Important macroeconomic indicators of dynamic changes used in forecasting levels of consumption of electricity and other energy resources to analyze the economic situation and trends in the development of key branches of the processing industry are the gross added value and indices of industrial production. Modern trends in the development of such significant branches of the processing industry as the chemical, light, and construction materials industry are identified, the key role of these branches for the post-war recovery of the processing industry, taking into account the requirements for strengthening the country's defense capability and ensuring the stable functioning of enterprises of industries important for its support, is indicated. It is noted that their low energy intensity opens up the possibility of priority reconstruction in conditions of energy shortage, provided that military risks are minimized. The specifics of resource and energy saving measures are revealed and the priority directions for reducing energy consumption in the processing industries are highlighted.