Investments represent the healthy solution to have an increasingly lower electricity price for both household consumers and economic agents, and we express our willingness to, together with all market actors, find a solution that does not produce shocks to consumers after April 1, 2025, when the capping and compensation program ends, said, on Monday, the president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), George Niculescu.

“In the 4th regulatory period, from my point of view, the level of financing was relatively close to the minimum investment level. We want that, in the 5th regulatory period, the level achieved is higher than the forecasted one, and than the minimum of investments. I think that investments are the healthy solution to have an increasingly lower electricity price for both household consumers and economic agents (…) The regulatory authority has a more consultative role regarding the continuation of the support scheme or not. We make all the necessary expertise and data available to the decision-makers. We express our willingness to participate together with all the actors in the market, suppliers, energy consumers, as well as ministries or Parliament, in such a way that we find a solution that does not shock consumers after April 1. We have already had a series of meetings with the Ministry of Labor in this regard to try to find a correct solution for what happens after April 1,” said Niculescu, according to Agerpres.

According to the president of ANRE, regarding the supply of natural gas this winter, the authorities are ready.

“Indeed, winter has come or winter is starting to come. We are prepared as we were in previous years. I think we will not have problems from now on, both from the perspective of the security of natural gas supply, because the necessary volumes of natural gas consumption are available, we have them, they are stored in the warehouses managed by the Romgaz company (…) Let’s not forget the fact that Romania has recently become the largest producer of natural gas in the European Union surpassing the Netherlands and we are in first place. This is of great importance. In practice, we are strengthening our role as an important producer and we are also starting to build the role of safety exporters to the surrounding countries also considering the volumes of natural gas that we will extract from the Black Sea deposit, Neptun Deep, surely then both the consumption of natural gas at the national level will be 100% covered from sources indigenous, but we will also be natural gas providers for the countries in the region,” said George Niculescu.

In the view of the head of ANRE, the consumption of natural gas in Romania will increase, in the next period, with the commissioning of the Mintia or Iernut plants.

“Then the consumption of natural gas for the production of electricity will increase, also taking into account the entire investment plan that the Government of Romania has through the “Anghel Saligny” Program, for the development of natural gas distribution systems. From the perspective to the regulatory authority, I will give you some figures: from the beginning of the year to the moment we are today, we have been granted 62 establishment authorizations for new distribution systems. These 62 establishment authorizations are related to 86 UATs, a total of 300 localities, where the construction of these new natural gas distribution systems has begun, which will supply natural gas to the consumption in these areas.From my point of view, I believe that gas consumption will increase natural, even if we have milder winters or are more efficient,” the official added.