Romania: Operators at wind farm objected to new balancing regulations

New rules and regulations drafted by the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) aimed at changing the behavior of wind farm operators and eventually decrease the net imports of electricity are dissatisfying for the Employers’ Organization of Renewable Sources of Energy in Romania (PATRES). Romania turned into a net importer of electricity last year and this was broadly interpreted in the context of obsolete domestic production capacities, part of which are polluting and inefficient. ANRE also claims that wind farms by placing excess electricity on the market with no prior notification has also contributed to the situation
Thus, ANRE suggested that wind farm operators have avoided selling their output in advance on the day-ahead-market and preferred placing it on the market where it is preferentially absorbed. The green certificates received for the electricity delivered more than compensated the low price obtained for the electricity thus delivered. But this forced the local suppliers to contract electricity from import in advance.
Actual wind electricity delivered, in the amounts larger than notified, forced the market system operator to reduce the output of local gas-fired power plants. Higher financial fees paid for electricity supplied in excess, set by ANRE under draft new regulations, would prevent such behavior in the future.
Furthermore, ANRE suggested that the wind farm operators can sell their output on the intra-day market, with a much better error margin between actual and planned deliveries.