Junghietu: Energy in Moldova Isn’t the Most Expensive, but Bills Are High due to Dilapidated Networks

In an interview, Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu commented on growing public discontent over high energy bills. According to the minister, prices in a number of countries, both within the European Union and in continental Europe, are “significantly higher than those paid by end consumers in Moldova”, reports bani.md. Responding to a question about the risk of possible power cuts if Romania is unable to supply sufficient electricity, Junghietu described such a scenario as unlikely. “Electricity consumption in Moldova is significantly lower than in Romania. Apart from our own capacity, which currently covers 40-50%, the 300-400 megawatts we import is not a critical amount for Romania. Therefore, the likelihood that Romania will not have enough energy for Moldova as well is extremely low,” he explained. The minister clarified that the main challenges relate not to supply but to the transmission capacity of existing lines. Junghietu warned that major power cuts could have serious economic consequences. According to him, estimates already exist showing ‘significant losses’ to GDP in the event of prolonged outages. As for high bills, the minister directly linked them to the state of the infrastructure. “We have inherited an old, heavily worn-out power system,” he emphasized, adding that its modernization requires constant investment, which is partly borne by consumers. As an example, he recalled the large-scale power cut in January 2026, caused by a fault on a line “which had been in operation for over 50 years”. According to the minister, a particular vulnerability stems from the connection between Moldova’s power grid and the Cuciurgan power station. However, this risk will be reduced following the launch of the Vulcanesti-Chisinau line. “This is a weak point. But once the new line is operational, the Chisinau energy hub will be connected directly to the European power grid via the Vulcanesti substation, and the flow will not pass through the Cuciurgan power station,” noted Junghietu.