Sol Associates
Three deadlines are shaping Romanian energy this autumn, and the common mistake is treating them as a single queue. They are different kinds of clock. They are set by different parties, they start for different reasons, and they reward different behaviour.
Clock one: a funding window that closes on everyone at once
The Modernisation Fund KP1 call for new stand-alone storage accepts applications from 1 September 2026, 12:00, until 30 October 2026, 14:00, through the MySMIS2021 portal. Miss it and you wait for the next call, whenever that comes. Nothing you do changes the date, and it closes for every applicant at the same moment.
Clock two: a statutory backstop that is set for you
ANRE Order 15/2026 contains a transitional rule at Article V alin. (3). A connection contract above 1 MW that was already in force on 25 May 2026 must obtain its AI by 25 May 2027. The date is fixed, it applies whether or not you act, and the consequence under Article V alin. (5) is that the ATR lapses and the connection contract terminates by operation of law.
Clock three: a filing duty that starts when you act
Where an AI application relied on precontractual financing documents, the holder must file the final financing documents with ANRE within the term set in the AI’s specific conditions, capped at six months from the date the AI was granted. The rule sits in the licensing Regulament approved by ANRE Order 6/2025, as amended by Order 16/2026. This clock has no calendar date at all. It starts on the day the AI is granted, which is a date you influence, so you can start it before you are ready to answer it.
Why they should be planned separately
| Clock | Who sets the date | What starts it | What follows a miss |
|---|---|---|---|
| KP1 funding window | The scheme, for every applicant alike | Publication of the call | You wait for the next call |
| AI backstop, 25 May 2027 | The law | Order 15/2026 entering into force on 25 May 2026 | The ATR lapses and the connection contract terminates |
| Financing filing after the AI | ANRE, within a six-month cap | The grant of the AI | Withdrawal of the AI |
One window closes on everyone at once. One backstop is set for you by law. One begins the moment you act. Planning them as a single deadline is how a sound project misses the one that mattered.
Where the dates stand
As at 1 October 2026, the KP1 window closes in 29 days and the 25 May 2027 backstop is 236 days away. Both are counted from that date. A live countdown to the KP1 close, with every other verified date, is on the regulatory calendar.
General information prepared from public sources, not legal advice. Read the disclaimer.