Romania has real advantages in terms of energy resources and is currently experiencing a surge in investment, particularly in renewables, said Corneliu Bodea, CEO of Adrem and president of the Romanian Energy Center, at Power Summit 2026, the conference organized by Eurelectric in Helsinki. According to Bodea, the main challenge is no longer the construction of new capacity, but rather the revival of electricity consumption and the transformation of electrification into an economically viable national project.
Romania is in a good position
Corneliu Bodea began his remarks by highlighting the difference between Romania and other European countries that are more vulnerable to resource shortages. While Europe has limited fossil fuel resources, Romania still enjoys significant structural advantages: natural gas, hydropower, and wind and solar potential.
“Romania is in a lucky position,” said Bodea, referring to the fact that the country has “gas resources, a lot of hydro,” and a strong position “in terms of wind capacity and solar as well.” This position gives Romania a favorable starting point, but it does not eliminate market problems. Bodea noted that Romania is emerging from “a too long period of lack of investment in generation,” a prolonged period during which new generation capacity was not developed at the necessary pace. –
The change is, however, evident. In recent years, Romania has entered a phase of accelerated investment, particularly in renewable energy – a moment that Bodea described as “a revolution of investment, especially in renewables.” Projects totaling approximately 10 GW are already in advanced development, with secured financing or in various stages of implementation. Most are renewable projects, particularly wind and solar, complemented by gas-fired capacity that can bring flexibility to the system.
The panel discussion highlighted the fact that Europe can have cheap energy when consumption aligns with times when energy is available at reduced prices. However, if energy is consumed without flexibility – including during peak times or periods of system stress – prices remain high. In this regard, electrification cannot be merely a mechanical increase in consumption; rather, it must be smart electrification, capable of responding to price signals and production availability.
Investments can lower prices, but the challenge remains low consumption
Like Italy, Romania is facing high electricity prices. In his remarks, however, Bodea explained that, in Romania’s case, these prices are linked to a lack of investment over the past two or three decades. “We also face a similar situation to Italy with very high prices,” he said, but added that these are “more due to the lack of investment in the last 20–30 years.” In his view, the price issue could begin to resolve itself as new investments come online.
The issue of prices is a European one. Nicola Monti, CEO of Edison Spa, referred to the situation in Italy, emphasizing that the large price differences compared to France or Spain affect industrial competitiveness. As long as some national markets can offer cheaper energy while others remain stuck with high prices, electrification will advance unevenly, and European industry will compete under different conditions from one country to another, he suggested.
In Romania’s case, Bodea shifted the focus of the discussion from production to consumption: “The challenge I see is on the other side, on the consumption side.”
Bodea noted that Romania has an energy grid designed for significantly higher consumption volumes than those currently seen. “You have a network that was built to consume, distribute, and transport 80 terawatt-hours a year, and now we only use a little more than half of that,” Bodea explained. The consequence is simple: the costs of the network must be borne based on lower consumption. “You have to bear the costs of the network for much less consumption,” he said.
From this perspective, electrification is not just a decarbonization policy, but also a solution for the economic efficiency of the energy system.
Higher consumption due to electrification
Bodea presented electrification as a national project. “That’s why I believe that the challenge now is to take steps to increase consumption,” he said. And for Romania, he continued, “the national project should be electrification.”
It should target industry, transportation, heating, buildings, and all areas where electricity can replace more polluting or inefficient forms of energy consumption. As long as prices remain high, however, electrification is difficult to justify to consumers.
That is why the sequence he proposed is essential: new investments in production, a drop in prices, and then the acceleration of electrification. “We expect first to see a significant decrease in the price of electricity due to this investment,” said Bodea. Only then can electrification be accelerated, which he described as “the real progress” and a boon for grids, investors, and system efficiency.
The stability of the regulatory framework and energy cohesion at the European level were frequently mentioned in the discussion. Investments in generation, grids, flexibility, and electrification are long-term investments and cannot be sustained without predictability. Frequent rule changes affect companies’ ability to make investment decisions and can delay precisely those projects that should lower prices and make electrification more accessible.
At the same time, the energy transition did not start from the same conditions in every Member State. Some economies have more developed grids, better access to capital, or more competitive prices, while others need additional support for investments in infrastructure, generation, flexibility, and consumer technologies. Just as cohesion funds have helped reduce economic and social disparities at the European level, there now appears to be a need for new instruments that can help reduce these differences in the energy sector, so that electrification does not exacerbate regional disparities but rather supports the competitiveness of Europe as a whole.
