CONSIDERATIONS ON ROMANIA’S SUSTAINABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This analysis looks into the sustainability of the Romanian energy sector against the main trends in the world economy and within the framework of the energy and environment policies of the European Union (EU). The gloom and doom conclusion, that sustainable economic and social development is not possible in Romania under current circumstances, is due not so much to the financial crisis, as it is to the absence of significant economic development, numerous and compounded social problems, underfunding and delays in investments. Other problems such as the very big energy losses, “energy poverty” (very high in Romania), the lowest expenses for social protection in the whole of EU (just 1% of the GDP), dangerous practices such as that of political management of state owned energy enterprises (SOEs), as well as appointing persons without experience and with a low professional quality to management positions, or the dire situation of the urban and rural energy systems aggravate this state of affairs. Some of the constructive proposals include setting up a National Institute for Strategic Planning and a Ministry of Energy and Resources; merging the energy strategy with the environment one in a joint and coherent document; creating a national priority program for the energy rehabilitation of residential and public buildings and drafting a national policy for urban energy, cogeneration and district heating

Keywords: sustainable developmentenergyrenewable energy sourcegreenhouse gasenergy efficiencysocial protection