In the electricity market, we had a high price period generated by concrete conditions: low hydraulicity, low wind energy contribution, and a very high share of the coal-based energy. Thus explains Doru Visan, secretary of state at the Ministry of Energy, the developments in the spot markets this summer. “The market response was correct from my point of view”, he underlined during a conference at IEAS 2017.
The summer situation has prompted Prime Minister Mihai Tudose to ask the Parliament to initiate an investigation into ANRE’s activity, accusing the leadership of the Authority of “not doing the right thing”. The minister of energy Toma Petcu said at the government meeting on August 9th, that one of the reasons for the rise of the energy was the postponement of the auctions for last resort providers (FUI), the suppliers thus being forced to resort to the Day Ahead Market (DAM), a more volatile platform of the OPCOM energy stock exchange.
At the request of energynomics.ro, the secretary of state Doru Visan referred to the risks that this investigation, confirmed in the meantime by the President of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Dragnea, could have upon the activity of the institution. The possible changes regarding ANRE will take place in an institutional framework, stressed out Doru Vişan: “It will be continuity and it will be professionalism, I assure you of this. I trust the institution, it reacted correctly every time.”
Debates upon the future of ANRE got new nuances after the minister of energy Toma Petcu referred to the possibility that the Government would take over from the Authority some of the attributions, following the analysis within the parliamentary commission. “We analyze the functioning mechanism of ANRE, to see where the decision comes to a stand still, regarding the activity of ANRE, not just of the management”, said Petcu at the conference “The energy in the outlet”, organized by the daily newspaper Bursa. “There will be an analysis and there will be a reorganization of ANRE, which can be done by amending the law establishing the Authority. It is possible to decide upon a separation of ANRE’s activities because now these tasks also concern regulation, control and supervision. An option is that we [the Ministry of Energy, e.n.] take over some of them, but it is still too early to know who and which activity would take over”, clarified the minister in an interview published in energynomics.ro Magazine, edition Autumn 2017.
The talks take place shortly before the mandates of ANRE President Niculae Havrileţ, vicepresident Emil Calota, and those of two other members of the Regulatory Committee expire in October. In the past, the Authority has operated for long periods of time with an incomplete leadership team, due to the very difficult setting of the mandate holders, at Parliament level.
