1. Is Romania at risk of a blackout or widespread power outages?
   Not at all. Those who say otherwise are irresponsible, spreading unnecessary panic, and aiding extremists. They fail to understand basic facts. As every year, we’ve prepared for the cold season together with the National Energy Dispatcher (DEN), using scenarios and implementing all necessary measures. At no point has it been an issue to cover Romania’s electricity and gas consumption, using domestic production and potential imports, nor to exceed the technical import capacity of interconnections (a minimum of 3,500 MW, potentially over 4,000 MW depending on the context).
2. Does Romania rely on electricity imports?
   Yes, when needed. There are three reasons why our country imports electricity:
   (A) To cover internal consumption needs and balance the grid, especially during periods when domestic production is insufficient — which happens when consumption is high (morning and evening, especially on cloudy days), the year is dry, or the wind doesn’t blow. In 2023, we were net exporters after many years, thanks to hydro production, among other factors. Currently, we are resorting to imports, within limits, to prudently manage reserves in storage lakes and coal stocks. Simply put, we aim to be prepared for any scenario in the coming months (which may be dry, with little wind or sun), and therefore prefer to maintain substantial reserves.
   (B) Because we lack sufficient electricity production capacity. It is well known that Romania has invested very little in new production capacities over the past three decades. Moreover, part of the base-load production units (coal and gas-based) have been shut down, while new projects require time. Over the last year and a half, we have secured record funding for new production capacities, network modernization, expansion, storage, and more. Details below, in point 4.
   (C) Imports can also be motivated by commercial reasons, when it is cheaper to import than to activate domestic production capacities. This is especially true for gas: at times, it costs less to import small quantities of gas than to extract it from storage. We can also import for transfer under specific conditions: being connected to the European energy grid (ENTSO-E), Romania can import energy from one country and re-export it to others through the European energy market coupling mechanism.
3. What is the status of Romania’s coal, gas, and water reserves?
   Our top priority is energy security. We monitor consumption and production data as well as energy reserves 24/7. Currently, water reservoirs are about 60% full, coal stocks exceed 400,000 tons with growth prospects from January, and gas storage facilities are nearly 80% full. These are reasonable levels for this time of year.
   Let me emphasize for those who can and want to understand: it would be simple to turbine all the water in reservoirs, extract gas from storage at an accelerated pace, and operate all thermal power plants at maximum capacity. For 25-30 days, we would have no issues and zero imports. We might even be able to export this additional production because we are in a coupled market. We’d feel secure for a while, but then what? Is that a solution? Certainly not! Beyond being completely irresponsible, it wouldn’t make economic sense, as imported energy might be cheaper than energy produced by inefficient groups (e.g., coal-based).
4. What have I accomplished during my term to improve the situation? And what’s next?
   I don’t know about others, but I’ve published my activity report every three months. You can find it in the first comment. It’s over 100 pages of concrete achievements, not just words. A few highlights include:

• This year, we completed the modernization of Rovinari Group 5 — a 330 MW lignite group at CE Oltenia (after nearly ten years) — and a group at Bicaz, stalled for years (53 MW).
• We awarded the contract for the modernization of the Vidraru hydropower plant (after six failed attempts) and signed the project for reactors 3 and 4 at Cernavodă.
• In recent years, two premieres were achieved: 63 MW of brand-new energy storage capacity and 30 MW in Romcim’s wind park in Medgidia, funded by PNRR.
• Modernization of Unit 1 will also be signed soon, extending its lifespan by another 30 years — more details next week.

Overall, in the last year and a half, we’ve attracted over €14 billion for energy sector investments, more than in 30 years:

• 10,000 MW solar and wind
• 3,500 MW gas groups
• 2,000 MWh battery storage
• 2,200 MW nuclear.

This year, the installed power of new capacities connected to the national energy system will exceed 1,000 MW for the first time in years, compared to approximately 600 MW in 2023 and just 60 MW in 2022. Future prospects are even brighter: by 2030-2032, we aim to double the total installed capacity with the completion of reactors 3 and 4 at Cernavodă, SMRs, and the first offshore wind farms in the Black Sea.

I know, I’m impatient too. I wish we had a magic wand to instantly build new hydropower plants, thermal power plants, nuclear reactors, or Tarnița-Lăpuștești. But I have peace of mind knowing that in these 18 months, my team and I at the Ministry of Energy have made extraordinary efforts. Please take a few minutes to review our activity report: https://burduja.ro/…/2024/12/RAPORT-MANDAT_18-luni.pdf.

I conclude with a call for responsibility. It’s time for everyone who wants the best for this country to tell the truth. It’s tempting to discuss complex issues requiring time and expertise to fully grasp. Nowadays, everyone seems to be an expert in football, politics, and… energy. But it’s only fair to present the facts and listen to the experts. Speaking of facts, we recently succeeded, after 17 years, in adopting a new national energy strategy in government. It clearly outlines where we need to go and the steps to get there. We just need to stay the course. Forward, together.