Success stories, and wishful thinking
This site is an attempt to show what I've carried out during over 40 years of professional carreer. I published in the epoque all I proposed having some relevance. And here, everything is neither hidden nor (re)processed. Good or bad, these are my ideas and work outcome. I do remain consistent with myself.
Before 1990, as a power system researcher, I focused my concern on the power system functionality. As an operational integrated system, not as aggregate of separate equipment. Then there weren't many "systemists" in Romania, even less people work today in power system analyses. Almost all my proposed solutions have been directly applied in operation and development of the national power system, in an environment which, surprisingly enough, was trully competitive.
After 1990, I was present as soon as politicians decided that the time has come to set up a competitive electricity market in Europe. Up to then, an electricity "market design" appeared as unfeasible for the economists. As a matter of fact, a safe and efficient electric market is crucially dependent on an insight knowledge of the power system functionality, the most sofisticated engineering achievenment in existence. I would say, it's much easier to understand market mechanisms than operation of such complex physical system.
As a matter of fact, the open issues of the current European market are consequence of inadequate treatment of the system operation requirements, as regards efficiency and operational security particularly. Network development and system balance that are not focused on congestion removal and RES integration, market mechanisms that do not discover real prices of energy, divergent national and regional rules and practices that maintain a fragmented market. Grievous affair is the fact that Romania is not too much instrumental in bringing the necessary clarification. Our public discussion is sticked in the unspecific commercial aspects of the market. As far as I am concerned, I mightd be proud of myself for a number of "success stories", willing or not, but I am still aware of a lot of "wishful thinking".
I think that a number of national solutions are due to me significantly: TPA model for the electric market; institutional models of ANRE, Transelectrica and Opcom; introduction of balance energy, (ancillary) system services and green certificate markets in Romania; "entry - exit" marginal cost - based tariffs of power transmission; marginal cost - based regulated prices of electricity generation; new technology to a large extent in the Romanian transmission system; first investment - grade rating for a state-owned company (Transelectrica); adherence to UCTE system and joining the control center of Braunweiler; and the Oradea - Bekecsaba and Isaccea - Dobrudja 400 kV OHL international power interconnections.
I've been working unnecessary when advocated for: an energy reform built on competence values; energy regulations focused on market rules, not on energy prices; accreditation of Opcom as a regional power exchange; a real competition among viable thermal generators; an electric & gas market surveiller; energy aids as Services of General Interest (SIGs) outside the tariff system; support as SIG for efficient cogeneration only; an EU - cofunded program for thermal rehabilitation of buildings; and an European East - West asynchronous interconnection in the Isaccea sub-station.
I agree still a chance to my suggestion for accomodation the market mechanisms with the power system security and environmental requirements. I would say, this issue does rather stagnate due to inconsistent message of the European decision makers, so to speak, it is said one and make other.
