Bogdan Ivan claims that Romania pays an additional €3 million daily for energy imported in the evening

Romania would pay, on average, approximately 3 million euros per day for imported electricity between 18:00 and 22:00, as demand increases while domestic production does not cover the need, Bogdan Ivan, former Minister of Energy, stated.

According to him, the amount represents the additional cost recorded over the past month and is ultimately borne by consumers. Ivan argued that certain private entities would purchase electricity from Romania during the day, when there is a surplus, at prices of 10–20 lei per megawatt-hour or even during periods with negative prices.

The former minister claims that the same electricity would subsequently be reintroduced into Romania during the peak consumption period, at prices that can reach 500 euros per megawatt-hour. He specified that these are suppliers and private entities that obtain these gains, without naming the companies involved.

The statements draw renewed attention to the major differences between electricity prices during the day and those during peak consumption hours, as well as to the problem of insufficient storage capacity. These would allow cheap electricity to be exported during periods of high production and imported at much higher costs in the evening.