No PSD support for draft emergency ordinance on decarbonisation

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) does not support the draft emergency ordinance on decarbonisation initiated by Energy Minister Virgil Popescu, which provides for the closure of several coal-fired power capacities by the end of the year, at a time when the other European countries are reopening their fossil-fuel plants in order to deal with the energy crisis, PSD said in a release.

"We cannot allow hundreds of megawatts of energy to disappear overnight without putting new production capacities in place. This means that we would very soon find ourselves before an energy shortage, unable to cover the economy and the population's consumption, which will trigger a major economic and social crisis," the statement reads.

The Social Democrats also consider that in the current context Romania needs to re-discuss the deadlines pledged under the NRRP regarding the closure of coal power plants, the more so as leaders of the European Commission have officially announced that the entire NRRP energy chapter can be renegotiated.

Therefore, they argue, a coalition meeting has to be called, where the Energy Minister should present a predictable roadmap and provide tangible guarantees that replacement exists before anything is shut down.

"Until then, the PSD ministers will not sign the emergency ordinance on decarbonization!," the release underscores.

In the same context PSD said that it supports any approach aimed at protecting the environment, such as EU-funded investments in photovoltaic panels. AGERPRES