Moldova’s Energy Future

To fully understand the current energy situation in Moldova, it is essential to explore the history of the country’s post–Soviet Union energy supply system. Russian gas flowed into Moldova via Ukraine from the fall of the Soviet Union until the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Historically, this arrangement gave Russia an annual opportunity to seek Moldovan concessions or have the country suffer the consequences in both prices and supply.  As of 2023, Chisinau no longer purchases gas from Russia’s Gazprom. 

However, this does not mean that Chisinau has freed itself from Russia’s malign hand on the thermostat. Russian gas still flows into Transnistria and the majority of Moldova’s electricity is still supplied via the electrical plant in Transnistria, which is run on Russian gas. This ongoing struggle provides a window into Moldova’s complex and layered relationship with Russia and with the Moldovan breakaway region of Transnistria, as well as Moldova’s internal challenges with institutional effectiveness. This piece provides a brief history of Moldova’s struggle for energy independence not only in relation to supply, but also in relation to the structure and ownership of the sector. The piece also provides a deeper dive into gas, electric, and alternative energy, as well as how EU accession is likely to affect the sector. Most importantly, this piece includes potential and crucial solutions to continue progressing toward Moldova’s energy independence.

This report is made possible by support from the U.S. Agency for International Development.