The president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), George Niculescu, said that the phase of renewable energy projects only “on paper” is over, and companies must deliver concrete results. The institution also has a number of expectations from companies investing in the sector.
“We also have expectations from the industry. Not only do we offer trust, predictability, clarity and transparency, but I expect at least five things: realistic timelines and feasible projects, truly ready to build in 2026, flexible energy and storage capacities, responsible and bankable PPAs, and honesty and integrity in the energy market,” Niculescu said, at the conference “RES market towards maturity”, organized by Energynomics.
He emphasized that the renewable energy market should be seen as a marathon, not a sprint, and that Romania’s goal is not just to be green, but “green, competitive and resilient”.
“Lately we have had a sprint of settling in. The integration marathon is next,” he added.
Since the beginning of the year, ANRE has issued 173 authorizations for the creation of new plants and has granted or modified 118 production licenses. The total capacity authorized in 2025 amounts to about 5,127 MW, of which 31% photovoltaic, 24% wind, 35% gas and 10% storage. According to the regulator, as of August 1, 2025, 1,283 renewable projects with approved capacities ≥1 MW, totaling 62,313 MW, were registered, up slightly from July. Of these, 834 projects (39,936 MW) had connection contracts, 468 projects (18,737 MW) also held construction permits, and 163 projects (6,772 MW) also had establishment permits issued by ANRE. Some 48 projects (2,352 MW) include storage facilities, 11 of which will be commissioned in 2025. Between 2025-2034, 422 projects (17,992 MW) are scheduled to be commissioned, of which 144 (6,543 MW) with all necessary authorizations. Most capacity is to be connected through Transelectrica (11,911 MW), followed by Rețele Electrici Romania, DEER, DEO and Delgaz Grid.
Niculescu announced that, as of January 1, 2026, grid connection will be done on a “first come, first served” basis, in order to bring predictability and eliminate speculative projects. At the same time, ANRE removed the double pricing of stored energy.
“The message to industry is simple: good and efficient investments get incentives. The more investors trust Romanian institutions, especially ANRE, the more determined they will be to invest in the energy system. Market maturity means simple rules, applied strictly on data, not noise”, Niculescu concluded.
The conference “RES market towards maturity” was organized by Energynomics with the support of our partners: Elektra Renewable Support, APERS, Baringa, CJR Renewables, Enery, Eximprod, Gotion, Huawei, Nordestina, Nova Power & Gas, Prime Batteries Technology, Sermatec, Sunotec, Voltika, Wiren.