The National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) approved on Thursday a set of new rules aimed at eliminating speculative energy projects – those investments announced „on paper,” which reserve network capacity without ever being built. The new rules largely reiterate measures previously promoted by the Ilie Bolojan Government through an ordinance that did not come into force after the Executive’s fall.
The measures were presented by interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan as a necessary step to unblock real access for producers to the electricity grids, after years in which „many speculative projects, beyond the capacity of the grids, were authorized.”
The new rules increase fourfold the financial guarantee required for connection – from 5% to 20% of the connection fee – and introduce an additional guarantee of 30 euros/kW installed for obtaining the establishment authorization. In practice, investors must demonstrate that they have the funds and the real intention to build the projects.
### „Megawatts on paper” blocking real investments
The ANRE head, George Niculescu, explained to [Digi24](https://www.digi24.ro/digieconomic/news/anre-adopta-noile-reguli-impotriva-baietilor-destepti-din-energie-oficial-un-lucru-constructiv-102267) that the institution is trying to clean up the network from speculative projects that were traded online without being effectively developed. „What do we actually want? We want megawatts connected to the grid, not megawatts on paper,” he said.
He criticized situations where energy projects were put up for sale on platforms like OLX, even though there were no real investments behind them. „As long as we have projects for sale on an online trading platform like OLX (…) I believe this is not how we transition in energy,” Niculescu stated.
According to ANRE data, out of the projects for which a 5% guarantee was previously required, only 12% reached the signing of connection contracts, 3% obtained building permits, and approximately 1% received the establishment authorization.
### How the network blockade worked
The issuance of a Technical Connection Approval (ATR) reserves a certain capacity in the electricity network. If the project is not built, that capacity remains blocked for years, and other investors can no longer access the network.
ANRE indicates that this phenomenon has led to delays for viable projects and inefficient planning of investments in energy infrastructure.
In parallel, network operators received 663 requests for projects of a minimum of 5 MW, totaling approximately 57 GW of requested capacity – several times more than the system can currently support.
### Clear deadlines and tougher guarantees
The new rules also establish clear deadlines for developers. **The establishment authorization must be obtained within a maximum of 12 months from the signing of the connection contract and at most 18 months from the issuance of the ATR.**
Moreover, **the 30 euros/kW guarantee will be executed if the project is not completed on time or if the investor gives up on it.**
The ANRE chief insists that the measures are not punitive but a filter to separate serious investors from those who only „develop projects to trade them.”
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### Bolojan: Three directions for reducing energy prices
Ilie Bolojan stated that the elimination of speculative ATRs is one of the three essential directions for reducing energy prices in Romania. The other two are the development of storage capacities and accelerating investments in production and electricity networks.
According to the Prime Minister, companies that complete their projects will recover their guarantees, while those who only block capacity in the network will lose their money and free up space for real investments. „Companies that complete their projects will get their guarantees back, while those who don’t invest will lose their money and free up space for others. So far, because there were no guarantees and firm deadlines, many speculative projects were authorized, beyond the capacity of the networks, practically blocking access or significantly increasing connection costs,” he explained.
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### Bolojan’s ordinance fell, but ANRE is now applying the same rules
The new regulations adopted by ANRE on Thursday come after the ordinance prepared by the Ilie Bolojan Government to tighten rules regarding speculative ATRs [was procedurally blocked and did not come into force](https://spotmedia.ro/stiri/economie/ordonanta-lui-bolojan-impotriva-baietilor-destepti-din-energie-a-picat-avizul-a-venit-prea-tarziu).
The ordinance was not published in the Official Gazette after the fall of the Government through a vote of no confidence. However, ANRE has moved forward and now introduced, through its own regulations, many of the measures announced at that time.