National Regulatory Authority for Energy (ANRE) has calculated the annual mandatory quota of electricity produced from renewable energy, benefiting from the promotion system through green certificates, to 8.3% of gross final consumption of electricity. This level is the projected result if the current legislative situation is maintained and the anticipated trends in electricity consumption and production for 2017 confirm.

The main element that was taken into consideration was keeping the green the green certificates impact on the electricity consumer final bill at a constant level, respectively 35 lei/MWh. However, given that the agreements for exempting large consumers from this burden will be maintained, the impact of green certificates in the final consumers’ bill will increase to 42-43 lei / MWh, ANRE calculated.

This 8.3% share of total consumption level comes in total disagreement with Romania’s commitments in the Law 220 / 2008, which established the regime to promote energy production from renewable energy sources. Thus, in 2014 the level should have been 15% and it was 11.1%, in 2015 it was scheduled to rise to 16%, and it was finally set at 11.9%. This year, the quota was set at 12.15% versus the 17% scheduled, and in 2017, the quota calculated by ANRE is 8.3%, compared to 18%, as it had been promised to investors in 2008.

Even at this low level, the quota calculated by the Authority for the next year risks to no longer contribute to achieving the national target for 2020 – 24% share of energy from renewable sources in gross final consumption of energy -,  due to the possible reduction of revenues of E-RES producers and, consequently, the increased risk of insolvency for them,” ANRE says.

In a notice published on its website (www.anre.ro), the Authority has proposed a second optoin to the Government: that quota could rise to 12.5%, concomitent with a new deferment of the green certificates for another couple of years

Even under the current conditions, with a mandatory quota of 11.9%, the employers’ associations RWEA, PATRES, RPIA and ARmHE, representative for the renewable energy industry in Romania, warned: The collapse is imminent in the renewables sector.