Romania declares national energy alert as nuclear and hydro plants falter

The Romanian government announced a national state of alert after a sharp drop in electricity generation threatened a blackout. Both reactors at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant were shut down because extremely low Danube water levels reduced output by about 1,400 MW. Simultaneously, hydroelectric facilities operated by Hidroelectrica faced reduced capacity, with the Porțile de Fier I plant running at limited output and water‑level drawdowns removing additional hundreds of megawatts from the grid.

Experts highlighted that the country can store only around 1,000 MWh of electricity, far below the roughly 10,000 MWh needed for stability, and that reliance on imported Chinese solar and wind installations without adequate storage has left the system vulnerable. Political factors were also cited: the USR party blocked a law to complete abandoned hydro‑electric projects, and earlier decisions closed coal mines, limiting alternative generation sources.

Energy‑security analyst Cosmin Păcuraru warned that policy missteps and hybrid attacks could push Romania into darkness, while interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan affirmed the alert measures as necessary to manage the crisis.