Investments in electrical networks must be greatly supported and accelerated, because otherwise an even greater gap will be created between Romania and other countries, said Alessio Menegazzo, CEO and country manager of PPC (formerly Enel) in Romania, on Monday.
“We all know that we are facing an epochal change. The energy transition, the way consumers, citizens will live in the future will be a way in which electricity will have an increasingly relevant aspect. (…) It is necessary of a lot of investments in electrical networks because this is how we prepare for a better, more decarbonized future, in which customers will have many possibilities that they don’t have today.(…) We know that there are commitments firm from the Government of Romania, the National Environment and Energy Plan, which has some commitments. We have a discussion with the Regulatory Authority for a new regulatory cycle. We hope that we will reach a much more practical, much more pragmatic discussion, in the interest of to digitize and to focus on electrification. The rest are aspects that are less relevant, but we all have a commitment, we must support and greatly accelerate investments in electrical networks. If we do not do this, we will create a gap between Romania and other countries. And this is a fact,” said Menegazzo, according to Agerpres.
For his part, the vice-president of the National Regulatory Authority in the field of Energy, Gabriel Andronache, emphasized that there is an open dialogue with distribution operators and in the next period they will try to reach a common denominator regarding the 5th regulatory period .
“You know we have an open door and the dialogue is always open. That’s why I’d like to get things right. As you know, in 2024 we were supposed to enter the fifth regulatory period, but together with the cast, we came to the conclusion that it would be good to postpone one year, let it be a year of transition, because, if we refer to the last years, 2023, 2022, some atypical years, we might not have made some decisions that would be very good and respond to the current conditions. That is why, in the next period, we will intensify this dialogue. Colleagues from the distribution, through ACUE, made an analysis. We also made an analysis, and we will try in the next period to reach the denominator common that meets the needs of Romania,” Andronache said.
He stated that for the next regulatory period, a formula is being sought so that the companies that make investments from European funds are rewarded, to find a certain amount in the tariff.
“We can look, for example, at the western countries, where there is a recognition in the tariff that is much lower, but maybe there things are already done, some things are done and are advanced, and here there are still many things Also, for the fifth regulatory period, we are trying to recommend and find a formula so that companies that go to European funds and make investments from European funds are not penalized, in quotes, and are rewarded so that find a certain amount to appear in the tariff, so that those investments can later be supported,” explained the vice-president of ANRE.
The general director of Rețele Electrice, Mihai Peşte, mentioned that at the moment there is no fixed figure regarding the increase in the distribution tariff, but a mix of proposals, the methodology being awaited to be discussed more precisely.
“We do not have a fixed value or a fixed figure by which the distribution tariff should increase. It is a mix of proposals. The distribution tariff has many components. (…) ANRE has made, for now, a proposal. The methodology is not yet came out. So the studies are done not necessarily to be 100% compliant, but to add value to our discussions so that we end up not at the common denominator, but at that denominator that ultimately gives us the regulatory framework enough to make the future investments and succeed in making the energy transition. (…) Now, frankly, the problem of financing is very big, and the financing for the next period, being very large volumes, must be discussed and reached with the ANRE to some very clear and accurate conclusions. But at least at the moment, from our point of view as a distributor, there are no exact figures. We will only be able to discuss this more precisely after a methodology appears. The next regulatory methodology must to be a fair methodology, fair for operators, fair for the community, fair for the consumer, but in the conditions of the energy transition that follows, whether we want to do it or not. I repeat, the current conditions are not the most conducive to making investments of incredible dimensions,” stressed Mihai Peşte.