QUESTION — As former Secretary of State in the Ministry of Energy, President of the Romanian National Institute for Energy Development Studies (IRE), as well as CEO of Electrica Group, how do you assess the situation of the energy sector in Romania in the context of current challenges at European and global level – climate change, changes of Community directives, fiscal, legislative, technological developments?

Corina Popescu: The industry is going through a period of transformation, both at international level and locally, and, if I were to describe this process in a single word, this would be adaptation. This process is generated by legislative changes, climate change, as well as the opportunities attracted by the technological developments with impact in the energy industry.

The main objective, at both European and global level, is finding efficient, environmentally friendly solutions, so that the carbon footprint can be reduced. This objective can be reached with sustained investments in research and technology. To be able to align to international rigors, we need an energy strategy assumed by the entire political class, also including a clear implementation plan. The transition phase is primarily focused on consumer, who needs quick access to a wide range of related services.

Moreover, the hottest topic at European level is what we call Green Deal, which means, in essence, a radical change, a new vision, facilitated by the new technologies, by digitalization, by artificial intelligence. Reaching the ambitious targets of this huge project involves major investments – we are talking about approximately EUR 260 billion per year.

For the energy sector and, very specifically, for us, it means that sooner or later we will drop coal, the share of renewables will increase, and networks must be fully integrated and digitalized.

This is why the new development strategy of Electrica Group takes into account these changes and targets a balanced portfolio, which includes, for example, the renewable segment, so that we respond to the current needs of environmental protection.

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