Romania generates more electricity in Q1 2026 as consumption falls

Romania recorded higher electricity production in the first quarter of 2026 even as overall consumption declined, according to data published by the National Institute for Statistics (INS). The divergence matters for market balance and grid planning: it signals that domestic generation covered demand more fully than a year earlier.

Consumption down across most categories

Total electricity consumption in Q1 2026 reached 12.82 TWh, down 2.2% versus the same period in 2025. Industrial use was broadly steady at 9.85 TWh, slipping just 0.1% year-on-year. Household electricity demand fell more sharply to 2.86 TWh, a decline of 9.2%. Electricity used for public lighting increased by 5.3%, reaching about 115.1 GWh.

Production rises on hydropower and renewables

At the same time, Romania’s total electricity production climbed to 14.37 TWh in the first three months of 2026, up 8.8% year-on-year. Thermal power generation decreased by 3% to 5.05 TWh, but hydropower output surged by 38.3% to 3.77 TWh.

Nuclear generation from the Cernavodă plant edged down by 3% to 2.86 TWh. Wind power increased by 18% to 1.9 TWh, while solar production—including prosumers—rose by 10.17% to 774.1 GWh.

Trade improves as exports grow and imports fall

Electricity trade also moved in Romania’s favor during the quarter: exports rose by 13.9% to 3.66 TWh, while imports declined by 15.4% to 3.84 TWh. Together, these changes indicate a narrowing gap between domestic production and external supply.

Broader energy sector output declines

In the primary energy sector, total production reached 4,116 million tons of oil equivalent in Q1 2026, down 2.3% compared with the previous year. Coal output fell sharply by 22.7%, oil production decreased by 8.3%, and natural gas production recorded a smaller decline of 1.5%.

Taken together, the INS figures point to a quarter where Romania relied less on imported electricity and generated more domestically—driven largely by hydropower strength and higher wind and solar output—while underlying primary energy production contracted across major fuels.