A number of 60 applications for the issuance/modification of the Establishment Authorization have been submitted to the National Energy Regulatory Authority in the last month, following the modification of the Regulation that introduced the guarantee of 30 euros/kW for photovoltaic projects, according to data presented by the president of ANRE, George Niculescu.
“The number is relevant because these 60 applications were submitted after the amendment to the Regulation that introduced the 30 Eur/kW guarantee. 4,222 megawatts total the 60 applications. During the public consultation period, we heard very often that: investors are scared, they will be discouraged, no one will invest anymore, we will be left with the same production capacities, etc. But things were not like that. Instead, it was as I said: serious investors were not scared, they submitted the guarantees, they will find the financing (or already have it) and they will build the projects. And they will deliver energy to the system. Because serious investors know that energy is a marathon, not a sprint, and they also know that there are no get-rich-quick schemes,” Niculescu wrote on his Facebook page.
On May 21, the ANRE Regulatory Committee approved, in an extraordinary meeting, important amendments to the Regulation for granting licenses and authorizations in the electricity sector and to the Regulation on the connection of users to public interest electricity networks.
According to a press release from ANRE at the time, the two amendments reflect the new philosophy of connection and licensing that ANRE is implementing, i.e. zero tolerance regarding speculative projects. The new values of the financial guarantees aim to increase the degree of accountability of users requesting connection to the network, reduce the risk of speculative reservation of connection capacity, ensure efficient use of electricity network capacity, and limit the financial risks borne by network operators in the event of project abandonment.
“Of the total number of projects for which the financial guarantee of 5% of the connection tariff was established, a measure introduced by ANRE in 2024, too few have obtained a construction permit. This reality led us to the conclusion that the 5% guarantee was not sufficient to separate projects that block capacity, without the clear intention of capitalizing on it. Therefore, ANRE decided to increase the financial guarantee to 20% of the connection tariff. At the same time, the Regulatory Committee today approved substantial amendments to the Regulation for granting licenses and authorizations in the electricity sector. The core of these amendments is the same: projects entering the authorization stage must be real projects, with secured financing and a firm commitment to execution. Specifically, applicants for establishment permits will establish a financial guarantee of EUR 30/kW of installed power, valid until the reception of the works. The guarantee is executed if the holder does not complete the project within the authorization period or gives up implementation for any reason. They are not punitive measures, they are selection tools. We want the network to be accessible to projects that are actually being built, not indefinitely reserved for those that are not advancing”, declared the ANRE president.