Government introduces measures to manage state of emergency in energy sector: prioritizing consumption and securing fuel stocks

The Government has introduced concrete measures to manage the state of emergency in the energy sector, in order to protect citizens and the country’s energy security. These measures target the prioritization and securing of energy consumption, reducing non-essential consumption, and securing of fuel stocks.

Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu assured that the authorities are making every effort to minimize risks, protect citizens and the economy, and restore the situation.

The draft decision was presented at the Government meeting by Director of the National Crisis Management Center (CNMC) Serghei Diaconu, who stressed that the proposed measures are indispensable to avoid uncontrolled manual disconnections, to maintain the functioning of the state and to protect citizens by preventing a major energy crisis.

The measures concern both electricity supply, in the context of the disconnection of the Isaccea–Vulcănești Line, and the securing of fuel stocks amid the complicated situation in the Middle East.

“Regrettably, due to circumstances beyond the control of the state authorities, the situation is critical. In the context of Russia’s military attacks on infrastructure in southern Ukraine, the 400 kV Vulcănești–Isaccea power line is unavailable. As a result of the Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory, technical incidents have occurred, creating an imminent risk of an electricity deficit estimated at 350–400 MW during peak hours. Moreover, the volatile international context, marked by tensions in the Gulf region and maintenance works at regional refineries, requires strict precautionary measures in the petroleum products sector as well, in order to avoid any disruption in the supply of the domestic market,” said Serghei Diaconu.

The CNMC Director noted that the Government-approved decision establishes a set of urgent and proportionate measures, structured along several main directions:

1. Prioritizing and securing energy consumption.

“We clearly establish that medical and healthcare institutions, critical infrastructure, and vulnerable consumers have absolute priority for power supply. At the same time, the operator Moldelectrica will halt electricity exports during peak hours (17:00–21:00 CET) in order to direct any available resource to domestic consumption,” stated Serghei Diaconu.

2. Implementing measures to reduce non-essential consumption.

“We call on administrators of public and commercial buildings to reduce indoor lighting by at least 30%, disconnect shop windows and advertising lighting, as well as limit the use of escalators during peak hours,” said the CNMC Director.

Economic operators with production processes that consume large amounts of electricity—such as the use of electric furnaces, electric arc welding equipment, or melting installations—are also urged to reorganize their work schedules outside peak consumption intervals.

3. Securing fuel stocks.

The Customs Service will continue to strictly monitor exports from the Giurgiulești International Port, allowing the export of petroleum products only if safety thresholds are exceeded. At the retail level, the sale of diesel fuel at filling stations, including sales in containers, will be limited to a maximum of 20 liters in order to prevent stock depletion.

4. Increasing domestic response capacity.

The authorities will facilitate the rapid installation of storage and generation systems by granting derogations from construction permitting requirements, such as urban planning certificates and building permits.

“This will facilitate and debureaucratize the process of connecting power generation installations for holders of technical approvals, so that the capacity to produce alternative energy can increase as quickly as possible. Combined heat and power plants will be able to generate more electricity with the guarantee that all necessary costs, including technological losses, will be covered, without penalties for the duration of the state of emergency,” explained Serghei Diaconu.

5. Providing the necessary legal tools for immediate technical interventions.

The Government’s decision stipulates that the state-owned company Moldelectrica may resort to procurement through direct negotiation procedures. Thus, technical teams can quickly purchase the emergency equipment needed to avoid electricity shortages during peak hours and to eliminate the risk of major imbalance in the power system. The Ministry of Energy is the sectoral authority responsible for crisis management and direct communication with citizens, while the CNMC will continue to ensure the coordination of actions at the national level.

The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova has declared state of emergency for a period of 60 days, starting on 25 March 2026, after the main power line supplying the Republic of Moldova—the Vulcănești–Isaccea line—was disconnected following Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure. The decision was taken at the proposal of the Government, which argued that declaring the state of emergency will allow the authorities to act swiftly and protect citizens.