The analysis conducted by the Intelligent Energy Association highlights the limitations of environmental assessments for hydropower plants initiated during the communist period, which focused only on the local impact of dams, disregarding the effects on communities and ecosystems throughout the area. Although the law for the completion of 12 hydropower plants has been adopted, President Nicușor Dan has challenged it in the Constitutional Court, citing biodiversity protection.
AEI emphasizes that current analyses are fragmented and do not take into account the socio-ecological benefits of hydropower plants, such as water security, drought mitigation, and flood prevention. Additionally, the unfinished works can lead to environmental degradation, leaving behind unstable areas.