The National Regulatory Authority in the field of Energy is close to finalize a methodology for approving tariffs for the next regulatory cycle, which is not related to the election year, and the motivations brought by the operators will also be taken into account, â said on Friday Mircea Man, vice-president of ANRE.

“We have discussions with all the distribution operators weekly, if not daily, when the issues are complicated. Because of Ordinance 27 we were blocked for 2 years not to give tariffs. There was a lot of pressure in April to succeed according to the existing methodology to approve the tariffs. But we considered a transition year and did not enter the 5th regulatory period precisely because we have many challenges related to prosumers, hydrogen, cyber security and we need to know how to position ourselves, because the geopolitical situation and the energy crisis situation is not a landmark year. We couldn’t think of a strategy based on what happened, because you saw how the prices went up, because it was the Government’s intervention. So we couldn’t have a very clear line. Today, the authority is almost at the end with a methodology that we contracted very hard. (…) The authority is doing its duty, we have a methodology, we have all the data from the operators with absolutely all the motivations they bring and I am sure that our colleagues from the tariffs pay close attention to the motivations that the operators bring to them. (…) 2024 is an election year. The authority must do its duty in the election year as well. The tariff application methodology is not related to the election year. What we did in April when we approved the tariffs and took into account all the elements that the operators brought to the authority, we will do the same thing now,” said Man at the Energy Cyber Security Forum, organized by Distribuție Energie Electrică România, according to Agerpres.

He emphasized that the safety of the networks, the investments that must be made and everything that means good operation are priorities for ANRE and the analysis he is doing “will certainly focus on these issues as well”.

“I repeat, the tariffs will be approved according to the new methodology for the next regulatory cycle, the fifth period, and for the next year, the transition year, we will apply the methodology and I am sure that we have not exhausted the dialogue between the operators and the authority and it is a total openness. The new president has an advantage because he comes from the Ministry of Energy, he knows the issue very well and it’s a different approach and I’m sure we’ll reach the best solutions,” Mircea Man pointed out.