Energy troubles are an emergency and priority for Romania, new Prime Minister Luca Niculescu said and pointed to fuel, gas and electricity, as well as energy security risks in the coming winter. Minister of Energy Dumitru Chisăliță warned that meteorological issues could exacerbate pressure from high energy costs. He vowed to identify crisis scenarios and develop intervention plans, along with a review of the support system for vulnerable consumer groups.
Lawmakers in Bucharest voted in the new cabinet with an overwhelming majority, following a year and a half of instability. That way they avoided snap elections, but they gave only six months of support to new Prime Minister Luca-Alexandru Niculescu, a former journalist and diplomat. Taking over from Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Ilie Bolojan, whose government fell in early May, he stressed that the biggest emergencies are the budget and preparations for the winter.
It is not just about fuel, but gas and electricity as well, Niculescu pointed out.
“The energy produced in Romania must be the engine of industry in Romania. That is why we aim to reduce the effective cost of electricity for strategic industries, through long-term contracts, European support instruments, investments in production and storage and modernization of networks,” the new prime minister added and estimated that the energy system would increase by almost 6 GW by the end of next year.
The minority government is composed of the representatives of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and independent experts – both Niculescu and Minister of Energy Dumitru Chisăliță are in the latter group.
Chisăliță: Millions may face difficulties in winter
Millions of Romanians could feel increased economic pressure due to difficult weather conditions, Chisăliță said before the government took office.
He warned that meteorological issues could exacerbate pressure from high energy costs. Chisăliță vowed to identify crisis scenarios and develop intervention plans, along with a review of the support system for vulnerable consumer groups.
Chisăliță called for a comprehensive analysis of the SMR project in Doicești
In the new minister’s view, aid must be determined with regard to actual income.
At his parliamentary hearing ahead of the vote, Chisăliță said a thorough techno-economic assessment is required for the small modular reactor (SMR) project in Doicești.
New minister was twice advisor to ministers of energy
Dumitru Chisăliță had two stints as an advisor in the Ministry of Energy, of which the last one was from 2023 to 2025, and one time in the Ministry of Economy.
He was a member of the Board of Directors of Romgaz from 2014 to 2016 and its president for another six months. The new minister was briefly a board member for the CCGN Turceni gas power plant project. He held several positions in Transgaz.
Chisăliță is a certified expert and consultant in the field of oil and gas, and energy auditor.
He has a PhD in engineering sciences from the Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiești, as well as three master’s degrees: in oil management and marketing, natural gas and the energy modernization of buildings.
Chisăliță was a lecturer and researcher between 2008 and 2025 at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Transylvania University of Brașov. He also founded the Intelligent Energy Association (AEI).