Energy Alert Remains in Effect in Romania
Romania is facing a far from cheerful summer scenario: heat wave, drought, electricity shortage.
Bogdan Matei, 07.08.2026, 14:00
Hit by one of the hottest and driest summers in recent decades, Romania remains on energy alert. Although the country has a river system that experts consider abundant, the drop in water flow is affecting the operation of hydroelectric power plants. In addition, the Danube River, with its flow at historic lows, risks being unable to cool the reactors at the Cernavodă nuclear power plant, which supplies about 20% of Romania’s energy needs. At the same time, in homes, apartment buildings, institutions, supermarkets, and public transportation, air conditioning runs around the clock. Some municipalities have agreed to limit street lighting and to completely eliminate architectural lighting, which used to highlight the iconic buildings of major cities at night.
Against the backdrop of the crisis, electricity consumption by large users will be subject to mandatory limits during peak periods. The interim government has adopted a resolution stipulating that the targeted companies will be notified 24 hours in advance, and the measures will apply only if voluntary reductions are insufficient to meet energy demand. A national operations center for the energy sector has also been established, comprising representatives of the main producers and suppliers. The center will implement the energy risk management plan. Residential consumers and institutions that must operate around the clock, such as hospitals and sanatoriums, will not be disconnected, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan stated. The European Commission itself has announced that it is monitoring the effects of the drought on the Danube, but states that it has not identified any problems with electricity supply, even though nuclear power plants in Romania and Hungary are operating at minimum capacity.
In a statement to Radio Romania, the spokesperson for the EC, Anna Itkonen, noted that there are regional solidarity mechanisms that can be activated as soon as a situation arises that warrants their use. On the economic front, data provided by the National Institute of Statistics show that the energy sector has already recorded an annual price increase of nearly 25%, while the production and supply of electricity, heat, and natural gas have risen by more than 23%. Economic analyst Constantin Rudniţchi emphasizes, also on Radio Romania, that these developments do not remain confined to the companies themselves but ultimately reach consumers as well. The current energy crisis demonstrates just how important investments in electricity production, transmission, and storage capacity are becoming, and in this context, the drought on the Danube is not an isolated event but has the potential to recur in the coming years, warns analyst Bogdan Maioreanu, as quoted by the media. (LS)
