Cybersecurity and investments in cybersecurity are treated with the utmost seriousness by the regulator, George Niculescu, President of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), stated on Tuesday at a specialized event. In this specific case, the issue concerns the recognition of cybersecurity investments made by key investors.
“I recall that last year (…) I made a statement that went viral regarding the possibility of a blackout occurring in Romania, drawing a comparison with the likelihood of an alien arrival. A year has passed since then; neither the aliens have arrived, nor have we experienced a blackout. I feel free to make this joke because, in the spirit of public discussions held by certain decision-makers, I decided to lower the tone a bit myself. Regarding Plx 426—which aims to amend Emergency Ordinance 33/2027, the legislation governing the regulatory authority’s activities—this is a bill with three initiators. Currently, the regulatory authority treats cybersecurity and investments in cybersecurity with the utmost seriousness. The methodology currently in force addresses any challenges distribution operators might face regarding the implementation of cybersecurity measures. This bill focuses solely on the cybersecurity aspect from a network perspective—extending cybersecurity coverage to the entire spectrum of the field and the National Energy System. On the generation side, there is a separate initiative involving the certification of software for certain equipment originating from China—let’s not beat around the bush here,” stated Niculescu, as cited by Agerpres.
He also noted that ANRE is addressing concerns regarding the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions. “(…) We have concerns regarding the implementation of Artificial Intelligence solutions. I would like to take this opportunity to say that there should be a broad debate on this matter; while the implications could yield significant benefits for both supply and distribution operations, the associated risks must also be evaluated with the utmost seriousness. Therefore, I believe that discussions concerning the implementation of Artificial Intelligence measures—particularly for repetitive cycles and the assessment of activities that are not necessarily qualitative in nature—must be as in-depth as possible and involve all stakeholders in the sector; ultimately, the human element remains responsible for any action taken, regardless of whether the outcome proves correct or not. (…) These debates need to begin as soon as possible, as we at the regulatory authority are also considering implementing Artificial Intelligence solutions for certain tasks in order to operate more efficiently,” emphasized George Niculescu.
