Romania, Government has published a draft of an emergency law for coal phase-out by 2030

The Romanian Government has published a draft of an emergency law for coal phase-out by 2030, which is expected to be adopted during June. It includes a two year acceleration of the country’s original coal exit plan announced last September, and clears the way for Romania to further utilize its enormous solar and wind energy potential.

Alexandru Mustata from Europe Beyond Coal said that Romania has long been home to some of the dirtiest coal plants in Europe and under a year ago it had no coal exit plan. Now Romania is a matter of formalities away from becoming the seventeenth European country to have a 2030 coal phase-out deadline.

Romania follows Czechia and Slovenia in making coal phase-out commitments since the turn of this year. But despite Europe enduring its worst ever fossil fuel crisis and perilously volatile fossil gas markets, the Romanian Government is still considering drilling for more fossil gas in the Black Sea.