Romania is a bit late and we come last to the table, because we cannot offer those who can help us with services and technologies a very clear perspective for planning the necessary investments, said Daniela Dărăban, executive director of the Federation of Associations of Utility Companies in Energy (ACUE).

“We are 100% dependent on the regulatory framework, and here I say it (…) with all responsibility. The way of making decisions must change. If we were to be honest, the regulatory framework must not become sophisticated, but flexible, adapted to the needs of modern tools. We should orient ourselves to potential service providers and equipment suppliers, so that we can plan for the coming years, depending on the investments we have in mind, the services and goods we have because another equally serious challenge is access to these goods and service providers. We must not forget that we are in a good competition, because all European states are currently making this type of investment in networks. There is a very high demand for technologies and services. From this point of view, I would say that Romania is a bit late, because we cannot, at the moment, offer them to those who can help us with services and technologies a very clear perspective of planning the necessary investments,” said Daniela Dărăban.

The ACUE representative also pointed out the fact that, at the present time, the energy distribution networks have entered a new stage.

“Regarding investments, I think I would start from the premise that I think we all accept – the changes we see in the energy sector, from the way we produce energy, the new technologies that develop and enter the market very quickly to to the way we consume energy. It’s a total paradigm shift. I once tried to give a more plastic example for the distribution networks… It’s like the change from the landline at home, where you received calls, until the smartphone that we have today. So this is actually how distribution networks should develop, in the sense that we can implement such technologies in the energy distribution part, which historically has been a segment of the energy sector with a fairly well-defined role (…) We will need bidirectional flow, we must make forecasts on consumption, we must become a kind of dispatchers for the new way of producing and consuming energy without investment. All these changes are beneficial both for the production side, because they mean new sources, investments, economic development, plus, of course, a more sustainable production model as far as the consumption side,” added Dărăban.