Romania's energy sector grapples with grid failures, rising exports and soaring electricity prices

Romanian lawmakers advanced an amendment to the Decarbonisation Law that bars the shutdown of existing power plants until their replacements become operational, aiming to safeguard energy independence and jobs. A separate parliamentary act clarified the legal framework for renewable energy investments, including new storage projects in Caraș‑Severin and Ialomița.

A major fault in the medium‑voltage network in Cluj‑Napoca left 18 transformer stations without power; crews estimated a four‑hour restoration window. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Statistics data for the first four months of 2026 showed a decline in primary energy production, a 7 % rise in electricity generation and record‑high exports of cheap renewable electricity, while imports of natural gas, oil and coal rose sharply, increasing Romania’s fuel dependence.

The spot electricity price surged to €547 /MWh, pressuring companies. A Transelectrica adequacy study warned that the “missing‑money” issue could make new solar and wind projects unprofitable and projected an import need of about 11 TWh by 2030. Recent solar‑driven price spikes illustrated the “photovoltaic paradox”, with electricity prices jumping up to 23‑fold in a single day due to insufficient storage capacity.