This is stated in the Preliminary comprehensive report on measures taken during the energy sector emergency in 2026prepared for the government by the National Center for Crisis Management.
“An important area of intervention was to reduce and improve the efficiency of electricity consumption. In this regard, measures have been implemented for both the public and private sectors to reduce consumption, especially during peak periods. These include reducing lighting in buildings, decorative lighting of economic entities, limiting the use of energy-intensive equipment at certain time intervals and optimizing the functioning of technical infrastructure. It is worth noting that these measures reduced electricity consumption by about 3% at the level of the entire electricity system,” the report said.
At the time, the country faced a deficit of up to 400 MW and a real risk of blackouts. The report highlights several structural vulnerabilities of the energy system, including heavy dependence on external infrastructure and persistent risks that could trigger new crises without warning.
One of the most serious scenarios analyzed assumes a shortfall of 350-400 MW in the event of new failures or attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Such a deficit would account for a significant portion of national consumption and could lead to controlled outages of consumers.
The report also points to Moldova’s heavy dependence on the only import route – the Vulcanesti-Isacca transmission line – which cannot fully guarantee system stability. Any failure on this line could drastically reduce import capacity and increase the risk of blackouts.
In addition, domestic electricity production (at baseload generation plants using traditional fuel sources – ed.) fluctuates significantly from season to season, dropping from about 200 MW in winter to about 60 MW in spring and summer, further increasing dependence on imports.
In crisis situations, Moldova may also be forced to purchase electricity at so-called “penalty” prices significantly higher than market prices – costs that may eventually lead to higher tariffs for consumers.
