Alexandru Tănase
Parliament reported that many of these measures have been in place for a long time, and they have now simply been strengthened. Incidentally, about 70% of the Secretariat’s staff are on vacation, which has also proven to be a very energy-efficient solution: fewer people means fewer kettles and air conditioners.
The President’s Office also reported in response to a media inquiry that, as early as 2022, nearly all lighting had been replaced with energy-efficient LED fixtures. Hot water has been turned off, decorative fountain lighting has been minimized, and electricity is now used only when absolutely necessary.
The Ministry of Energy, in turn, has urged citizens and organizations to conserve energy especially during peak hours—from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The idea is that this will reduce the load on the grid, lower costs for emergency electricity purchases, and minimize the risk of outages.
According to former Minister of Justice Alexandru Tănase, the problem is not at all that people are unwilling to conserve energy, but rather a lack of trust. The logic is simple: if citizens are asked to turn off their air conditioners, they want to be sure that at that very moment, those same air conditioners aren’t continuing to cool officials’ offices. Otherwise, energy conservation turns into a competition based on the principle: “Start with yourself.” Meanwhile, while we’re turning off our lights, Parliament is spending 66,000 lei in July on maintenance for an electrical panel.
Today, the picture looks almost perfect. The government is calling for conservation. Government agencies are explaining how they’re saving energy. Citizens are watching closely and doing things their own way.
“What did the Moldovans do? Exactly the opposite. Last night, during rush hour, electricity consumption exceeded 900 MW, whereas on a typical day it barely exceeds 800 MW. Why? Because many chose to give someone the middle finger. To whom, exactly? That’s not so important anymore,” noted former Prime Minister Ion Sturza.
Today, Prime Minister Vasile Tofan again warned of the risk of power shortages this evening and called on citizens and businesses to conserve energy during peak hours—from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. According to him, expensive emergency electricity could lead to higher bills:
“I want to ask all Moldovans once again: if you want to run the washing machine, if you want to grill a chicken or roast carrots in the oven, if you want to iron your clothes or turn on the air conditioner to cool the room—everyone has their own needs—please do so outside of peak hours. This will help us avoid much higher bills.”
There’s just one question here: is this really what the authorities should be doing? Is putting 70% of employees on leave now being presented as an effective energy-saving measure? Or maybe it’s finally time to stop being the butt of jokes?
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