On Digi24 on July 19, Eugenia Gusilov of ROEC addressed the persistent inability of the Romanian state to deliver new energy projects on time.

She emphasized that the European Commission never instructed Romania to shut down coal-fired power plants without alternatives. On the contrary, Europe provided substantial funding, such as nearly 1 billion euros granted to Complexul Energetic Oltenia alone for gas-fired power plants and photovoltaic parks. The delays cannot be blamed on Brussels; rather, Romania moved slowly and started the transition late, with CEO gas plants currently scheduled for 2026-2027, a deadline likely to be missed.

Even when projects started earlier, such as Romgaz's gas plant in Iernut initiated in 2017 and delayed by years, completion remains elusive. This proves that the problem is not a lack of funding or external pressure from Brussels, but rather the Romanian state's systemic inability to manage, monitor, and penalize unjustified contractor delays on large-scale energy projects. This structural weakness explains why Romania remains unprepared for incoming energy crises. Fortunately, the rise of prosumers offers a positive counterbalance.