Romanian Perspective on The Energy Sector Transition. Event Dedicated to The Celebration of World Energy Council Centenary

The Romanian National Committee of the World Energy Council (WEC-RNC) organized on 15 November 2023 the Conference "The Romanian Perspective on the Energy Sector Transition - Event dedicated to the celebration of the WEC and WEC-RNC Centenary", in partnership with Transelectrica and the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest.

The conference celebrated the Centenary of the WEC and of the WEC-CNR, as a founding member of the Council since 1924, and highlighted important moments in the 100-year history of the two organisations, with a focus on energy for peace and people. It also advanced, in a visionary way, how the next 100 years of transformational progress and impact should be prepared for a new era of energy for people and planet.

The celebration of the WEC Centenary, and therefore of the WEC - RNC - as a founding member of the Organisation - coincides with new challenges in a geostrategically unstable environment, with important impacts on energy markets, the transition to climate neutrality and the profound humanisation of energy as a social service.

 The Conference highlighted the role and history of WEC and WEC - RNC, the understanding of current energy sector conditions and development trends, the position of the Romanian energy sector in the face of major changes imposed by the energy transition.

The event comprised two sessions: the first session was dedicated to the celebration of 100 years of existence of the World Energy Council and the WEC-RNC, and the second session was dedicated to the identification of priority directions for energy, in the WEC's vision, for the next "100 years" of progress and transformational impact towards the energy transition.

The main points made were that all obstacles to a safe and just energy transition should be removed and the risks involved should be reduced and even eliminated. It is not desirable to take up the ideas of the global studies drawn up by the World Energy Council in Romania's circumstances and apply them appropriately to this context. Therefore, these studies are extremely useful tools for identifying challenges and suggesting solutions, including to the problems of the Romanian energy sector, and they should be used equally by specialists in the field and by economic and political decision-makers.

The whole event dedicated to WEC and WEC - RNC Centenary was appreciated as a "real energy celebration" by all participants: representatives of the WEC – RNC executive management over the years, founding members of the Association, members of the Romanian Academy and higher education institutions in Romania, collective and individual members of the Association, partners, media representatives, experts and specialists in energy and related fields.