⚡ Industry Insights

Renewable Energy Edition

Corneliu Bodea, President of the Romanian Energy Center (CRE), shares his perspective on the development of Romania’s renewable energy sector in the latest interview of our “Industry Insights” series.

At Green Energy Expo & Romenvirotec 2027, we are dedicating an exhibition pavilion to the integration of technologies that support the energy transition and Smart City Tech solutions, bringing them together within an ecosystem that moves us closer to the City of the Future.

Together, we are creating a platform where smart technologies come together to enable more efficient, sustainable, and intelligent cities.

The Interview

“Photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, batteries, hydrogen, heat pumps, and electric vehicles are all essential technologies. However, the real revolution will not come from any one of them individually, but from the way they are integrated.

The future belongs to intelligent energy ecosystems. Digitalized grids, distributed battery storage, energy and resource management software, artificial intelligence, smart meters, aggregators, and active consumers will operate together as a single, interconnected system.

Artificial intelligence will become the nervous system of the energy sector. It will enable the integration of ever-increasing volumes of renewable energy, reduce operating costs, and enhance the resilience of energy systems against increasingly complex risks, including cyber threats.

That is why, if I had to choose a single technology, I would choose the intelligent integration of all technologies, as it will deliver the greatest leap in efficiency.

The energy transition will not be won by those who possess the most technologies, but by those who know how to orchestrate them most effectively.”

“In recent years, we have focused almost exclusively on how much energy we produce and how much new capacity we develop. That is important, of course, but I believe the truly critical question is this: how do we use that energy to create greater added value within the economy?

The electrification of industry, the development of data centers, artificial intelligence, electric mobility, heat pumps, new nuclear projects, and hydrogen production are all part of the new industrial revolution. However, if we do not simultaneously expand our grids, increase system flexibility, and stimulate new domestic consumption, we risk exporting cheap energy while importing added value.

At international energy forums, including the Eurelectric Power Summit in Helsinki in early June 2026, there was extensive discussion about how electricity is becoming the foundation of European competitiveness and a key pillar of energy security. For Romania, electrification must become a national priority.

In the future, Romania’s competitive advantage will not lie in producing more energy, but in its ability to transform energy into prosperity.”

“Over the next five years, success will no longer be measured simply by how many megawatts we install. What will matter is how many megawatts we can integrate, transmit, store, and use intelligently.

New renewable energy generation capacities and battery storage systems are expanding at an unprecedented pace. The challenge is no longer the technology itself, but the system required to connect and manage these assets effectively. Smart grids, digitalization, and flexibility are becoming the critical infrastructure of the modern economy.

At the same time, artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape the way energy systems operate. AI will forecast demand, optimize energy flows, reduce grid congestion, and enable the integration of a far greater number of distributed energy resources.

Unfortunately, investments in energy networks are still too often viewed as an expense, when in fact they are among the most important investments in economic competitiveness. Europe no longer has a strategy problem. It has a speed and execution problem.”

“Energy is becoming one of the primary instruments of economic power. Countries will no longer compete solely for resources, but for the ability to power the industries of the future: artificial intelligence, data centers, advanced manufacturing, Industry 4.0 facilities, and digital infrastructure.

We will see an energy system that is far more electrified, digitalized, and decentralized. Renewable energy will continue its rapid growth, energy storage will become a standard component of the system, natural gas will remain the balancing fuel, and nuclear energy, including small modular reactors (SMRs), will strengthen energy security.

However, technology itself will not be the differentiating factor. The technologies already exist. What will make the difference is the speed of implementation, proactive investment in networks, regulatory stability, and the ability to attract private capital.

Romania has the potential to become one of the leading energy hubs in Central and Eastern Europe. But this will not happen automatically. It will require investment, pragmatism, and consistency.”

If your company offers solutions that improve energy efficiency, Green Energy Expo & Romenvirotec 2027 is the place to showcase them to public authorities, utility operators, investors, and industry partners.

23–25 March 2027 · ROMEXPO, Bucharest