PM Bolojan: Energy bills should start decreasing from the second half of 2026

 Energy bills should start decreasing from the second half of 2026, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said on Monday evening.He explained on Digi 24 private television broadcaster that this will be possible due to photovoltaic energy storage units.'We shall be able to store some of the very cheap electricity generated at midday and use it in the evening. The energy sector is vital because the competitiveness of our major companies depends on it. If you compete in the European market with a company that pays 15% less for energy than you do, you are no longer competitive,' the Prime Minister pointed out.He criticised the delays in completing the power plant at Iernut, stating that due to 'administrative incapacity,' the project has still not been completed, despite only requiring two to three years.'On Saturday, without any publicity, I went to Iernut, near Targu Mures. At Iernut, we have a project dating back to 2016 and we have been unable to finish a major gas unit - we've been stuck in this situation for 10 years. There is still a bit left to complete, maybe 5% of the entire project, but we have already cancelled the contract with the company twice - and due to administrative incapacity, we are stuck waiting 10 years for a power plant that others complete in two or three years. So, the first thing we must do - and are doing - is invest in gas-fired power plants, because Romania has natural gas,' Bolojan said.According to him, another mistake was failing to complete hydroelectric plants that were over 70% finished, for various environmental reasons.'We must complete our hydroelectric plants. Another mistake we've made is that, for various environmental reasons, we have significantly delayed the completion of hydro plants, some of which were started 30 or 20 years ago and are, for the most part, over 70% completed,' he said.Bolojan pointed out that the current energy system is different from that of 40-50 years ago, when thermal or hydroelectric plants produced energy relatively steadily.In Romania, a number of older and polluting plants have been closed. However, due to delays in replacement projects, the country no longer has sufficient production capacity, the Prime Minister explained.'Now, with the expansion of photovoltaic systems and wind farms installed in Romania, we have an energy mix that means, for example, at midday we have a surplus of cheap energy that we cannot consume - we essentially lose it. Then in the evening, because we have shut down energy capacities, there is high demand for expensive electricity, which we end up importing. Energy imports are always very expensive in the evening. Everyone has an energy deficit in the evening, and when an average energy price is calculated, we end up with electricity prices in Romania that are somewhat higher at certain times than in other countries in this part of Europe or even in Western Europe,' said Ilie Bolojan.