Such a state authority with tasks in the sector of energy efficiency has been existing until 2009 when it merged with Romania’s energy watchdog ANRE.
The new government led by Premier Victor Ponta will expand the exploration and exploitation activity of the crude oil and gas deposits in the Black Sea and will start identifying blackstone exploitable deposits, the program reads.
The governing program also aims to introduce an additional share on the additional revenues registered by the natural gas companies as a result of market liberalization, in order to ensure the financial resources for subsidizing vulnerable consumers.
Also, the program targets the partnership between Romanian and foreign companies in order to jointly perform works of oil exploration, development and exploitation in areas of interest, complying with the Romanian and European legislation.
The government also aims to encourage the investments for finding new reserves of hydrocarbons and to increase the replacement rate of the existent reserves.
Prime Minister Victor Ponta said negotiations with U.S. oil and gas Chevron regarding the exploration and exploitation of shale gas will remain a priority for Romania’s future government. Chevron owns in Romania a shale gas exploration/exploration site in Barlad and three sites in Constanta.
Another priority for the new government is to develop electricity and heat production capacities fueled by domestic and industrial wastes. Investments in wastes-driven plants will “decisively contribute to solving population’s environment and supply concern with hot water and heat at low costs.”
The new government program also targets the “active involvement” in Nabucco, Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Interconnector (AGRI) programs as well as the construction of the Constanta-Trieste (PEOP) oil pipe.
Some of the old projects included in the governing program are the completion of the nuclear reactors 3 and 4 at Cernavoda nuclear plant, Tarnita-Lapustesti hydropower plant, the construction in public-private partnership of new energy units at Galati, Borzesti and Braila.
The Executive also aims to attract capital for environment investments and new technologies, including the construction of new energy units at Hunedoara and Oltenia power plants, the construction of Islaz hydro-plant, the upgrade of energy groups of ELCEN Bucuresti, as well to double the underground storage capacity of natural gas.
The government will promote new technologies and will upgrade the equipments for exploiting pitcoal, lignite and uranium deposits.