This was stated by the director of the National Agency for Energy Regulation, Konstantin Borosan. He noted that the electricity exchange is a place where all sellers, producers and energy suppliers trade electricity, and buyers are electricity suppliers. The price of electricity is set every hour depending on supply and demand. When there is a high volume of electricity, the price is very low or even zero, as was the case, for example, on June 3, 2025 in the OPCOM market in Romania. When demand is high, e.g. during peak hours, the price is several times higher than during other consumption hours.
Suppliers in the free market can make offers to consumers and offer them, for example, a lower price than the regulated price if they consume most of their energy during midday and do not consume during peak hours, adjusting their mode of operation or behavior, or changing the way they organize their consumption processes (e.g. energy efficiency measures, etc.). This is the greatest benefit for consumers. For producers, it means being able to sell the electricity they produce every hour, depending on supply and demand.
As Constantin Borosan mentioned, Moldova has about 1000 MW of installed renewable energy capacity, and all of them are potential sellers of electricity. According to him, due to the fact that electricity is several times more expensive during peak hours, this will stimulate investments in battery-based energy storage systems.
Romania’s experience demonstrates the return on investment in a very short period of time – just a few years. The hourly electricity price set on the exchange and the price offers of suppliers on the free market will stimulate investments in equipment for hourly/intelligent metering. When the Moldovan market merges with the single European energy market, the electricity price at certain times on the same day in Moldova and Romania will be the same.
“The operation of the electricity exchange, hourly transactions, means competition between participants, and competition leads to better quality of service and lower prices. The electricity price at the exchange is formed in a transparent way, in market and competitive conditions”, emphasized ANRE Director.
