Achieving climate neutrality by 2050 can become a driving force for Bulgaria’s economic transformation rather than a barrier to its competitiveness. Through the accelerated deployment of clean technologies – renewable energy sources, storage systems, next-generation small modular reactors (SMRs), and alternative fuels – Bulgaria has the potential to attract multi-billion-euro investments and position itself as a key link in the supply chains of some of the most dynamic EU and US technology companies. The success of this transformation will depend on key reforms, including the full liberalisation of the electricity market, the modernisation of transmission and distribution grids, and the strategic use of national resources to strengthen the local industrial base.
These were some of the main conclusions presented in the latest analysis by the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), which explores alternative scenarios for Bulgaria’s energy and climate policy up to 2040 and 2050. The study was at the centre of the policy roundtable Accelerating the Energy Transition: Policies and Innovations for Sustainable Development by 2040, organised by CSD on 30 September 2025 in Sofia.
The event brought together key policymakers, regulators, and energy experts, including Zhecho Stankov, Minister of Energy; Delyan Dobrev, Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee in the National Assembly; Angelin Tsachev, Executive Director of the Electricity System Operator; and Kostantsa Rangelova, analyst at the international think-tank EMBER.
Opening the discussion, Minister Stankov underlined Bulgaria’s ambition to establish itself as a regional energy hub by unlocking investments in cutting-edge technologies. He highlighted that the development of new nuclear capacities – including SMRs - and pumped-storage hydropower plants, coupled with grid modernisation, will be essential to ensure long-term economic resilience and energy security. Delyan Dobrev echoed the need for new nuclear generation to attract strategic investors, stressing that long-term power purchase agreements at predictable prices would be key to justifying state participation in such projects.
Angelin Tsachev emphasised that grid modernisation and expansion, combined with decentralised renewables, storage systems, and SMRs, will underpin reliability, flexibility, and a sustainable clean energy transition. Kostantsa Rangelova drew attention to Bulgaria’s strategic advantage in solar energy, noting that the country’s high solar potential, together with the improving technical and financial performance of advanced storage systems, creates an opportunity for Bulgaria to emerge as a regional energy leader.
The speakers agreed that Bulgaria is entering a decisive phase in its energy transition, where the accelerated roll-out of clean technologies must go hand in hand with infrastructure modernisation. They underlined that to transform climate neutrality into a driver of growth, public resources must be channelled towards innovation, strategic investments, and social inclusion. Coordinated reforms will be critical to enhance competitiveness and safeguard Bulgaria’s energy security.
