Romania raises grid connection guarantees to curb speculative projects

Romania is tightening grid connection rules for future projects, per pv magazine. The new framework raises the financial guarantee required at the permit stage and introduces a separate authorisation guarantee tied to the construction phase, a two-lock structure intended to price out developers with no credible build-out plan.

The move targets a well-documented problem across Central and Eastern European markets: speculative grid queue congestion, where developers secure connection rights with minimal capital at risk and later abandon or sell positions. By increasing sunk cost at both the permit and authorisation stages, Romania's regulator aims to align the active pipeline with realistic delivery capacity.

Separately, Switzerland confirmed on 28 May that distribution grid operators will be permitted to remunerate PV electricity at real-time market prices from 2027. Small systems retain a minimum remuneration premium as a floor. Per pv magazine, the Swiss reform is explicitly designed to improve alignment between solar generation and demand, lifting the strategic value of storage and self-consumption under the new model.