The support scheme for renewable has produced its effects, agreed the participants in the dedicated workshop organized by the EUFORES, at the Parliament Palace in Bucharest. To reach the new European targets – 35% for Romania in 2030, new investments will be needed and they can only be attracted by a stable and predictable legislative framework.

From 3 producers in the field of renewable energy, in 2005, Romania reached 774 producers in 2017, said ANRE vice-president Zoltan Nagy-Bege, vice-president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE). The development of the sector has built upon over 8 billion-euro worth investments, the largest sum attracted by one law, said Iulian Iancu, chairman of the Committee for Industries and Services of the Chamber of Deputies. Thanks to electricity produced from renewable sources, the electricity production price has been reduced by 30%, Iancu added.

Local vulnerabilities and impotence

As a result of the 4 emergency ordinances and one government decision amending the original law, Romania has a problem of trust with investors. In particular, small producers have even more serious reasons for dissatisfaction: the large number of unsellable green certificates, the selling price for renewable energy, and the difficulties in trading on the electricity market call into question the survival of hundreds of firms.

In addition, 10 years after the introducing the prosumers into legislation, the regulatory body and the Ministry of Public Finance failed to put into operation the fiscal regime for domestic self-consumption for natural persons who install their own renewable energy production capacities. However, Zoltan Nagy-Bege from ANRE mentioned the possibility that the changes which are at present in the Parliament’s analysis could introduce the possibility of offsetting the grid-injected production with the electricity consumed, in order to at least partially encourage the development of small distributed production.

European Obligations and Opportunities

Jan Geiss, General Secretary of EUFORES, noted that most of the dominant themes in Romania are also valid at European level. “There are very intense talks now in Brussels, where soon we have to finalize the extensive set of measures in the “Clean Energy Package”, and Romania’s contribution is important because it can bring decisive arguments on the table,” Geiss said. For his part, Claude Turmes, the president of EUFORES, sent a registered message in which he appreciated that our country is a potential big winner of the energy transition. For this, Turmes asked for the support of Romanian friends of renewables in EUFORES efforts to introduce three new elements of support:

• de-risking instrument to bring down the capital cost in RES in the periphery of the EU
• continue financing for renewable and energy efficiency through EU structural funds
• new support schemes for a just transition for the coal regions

In his intervention, Romanian Energy Minister Anton Anton insisted on the need for Romania to maintain a balanced energy mix, also a central element of the national strategy that will be completed by the end of the year. “Clean Energy Package does not have to be a bed of Procrustes,” said Anton.

In turn, ANRE Vice President Zoltan Nagy-Bege pointed out that the Clean Energy Package Directive suggests that no additional tariffs should be applied for the connection of RES plants to transmission and distribution networks. “The network reinforcement fee that was introduced a few years ago in secondary legislation will certainly enter into discussion and we will have to find solutions with all the operators involved – distribution, transporters and investors,” said Zoltan Nagy-Bege.

In his speech, Martin Moise, first vice president of PATRES, warned that more than 50% of the contribution of renewable sources in total energy consumption in Romania actually comes from the extensive use of firewood for heating. In order to move towards the target of 35% renewable energy share in total energy consumption, new investments are required, and biomass is the big absence that could make a difference in the coming years.

About EUFORES
EUFORES – European Forum on Renewable Energy Sources is a European parliamentary network with members from all major political groups in the European Parliament as well as in the national EU member states Parliaments. EUFORES promotes the deployment of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency within Europe. It is a non-profit organization founded 1995 by members of Parliament and other key actors.