Program Context
The current geo-economic, financial and technological context, as well as efficiency and technology innovations, will change the energy mix of states around the world. Romania’s energy mix scenarios, analyzing resource availability, energy trends, fiscal and legal framework, show that our country is at a point where it will be decided how the energy sector will be adjusted and which will be the critical projects for this section. This moment of change in the business model will affect the whole energy field, create investment opportunities, but may expose stakeholders to a higher risk than before. In this context, investments will play an increasingly important role.

Program Description
Aspen Institute Romania’s Energy and Sustainability Program represents an active and prominent convener of non-partisan policy dialogue and a neutral forum focused on key energy topics and ways of advancing environmental sustainability in a technological world. The Program’s mission is to discuss the enduring questions about society and economic opportunities, to prompt a new thinking among diverse participants by deliberately testing assumptions and policies about sustainable energy policies.

The Program promotes values-based dialogue between top leaders from business, government, NGOs, and academia to address complex energy policy challenges in an atmosphere that allows deliberation, creativity and collaboration to flourish. The Program seeks to inspire and explore new ideas and provoke action in the real world.

Based on the Aspen Method which we profess and practice, we facilitate a transparent, responsible and non-partisan reflection process, between public decision-makers, private stakeholders and representatives of the non governmental and academic sectors, about various aspects concerning key challenges of the Romanian society.

Aspen Energy & Sustainability Program comes as a continuation of Aspen Institute Romania’s efforts in the energy sector, with 3 editions of the Bucharest Forum Energy, two editions of Aspen Energy Lab and 2 Aspen Energy Summits in Ploiesti. More details concerning our past initiatives can be found here.

Areas of Interest
➢ Technology and the ongoing trend of digitalization
➢ Geopolitical outlook and energy security
➢ Energy independence and connectivity of the CESEC region
➢ Different realities of national interest and common European interest
➢ Building infrastructure connections through the web of energy geopolitics

Calendar of Events for the 2019 edition of the Program:
➢ 1 April 2019: “Towards a Future European Energy System” – High level Conference Organized in Partnership with the Ministry of Energy on the margins of the Informal Meetings of EU Energy Ministers
➢ 12 – 13 September: Dedicated panel at the second edition of Constanţa Danube – Black Sea Economic Opportunities Forum
➢ 16 October: Third edition of the Aspen Energy Summit Ploieşti
➢ 16 – 18 October: Dedicated panel at the 8th edition of Bucharest Forum