Abstract. The sustainable development of the renewable energy sector implies encouraging small-scale production, distributed throughout the country, and which is as close as possible to the place of consumption. Green energy production is supported, in Romania, by a scheme that is slightly different from those of other European countries, i.e. the green certificates.

As any other promotion scheme, this scheme is an instrument that promotes the use of energy from renewable sources by reducing the costs of this energy, by increasing the price at which it can be sold or by increasing, through a series of obligations related to renewable energy obligations or otherwise, the quantity of this type of energy that is purchased.

This mechanism consists of a mandatory quota system, combined with the trading of green certificates.

The Romanian State, through this scheme, basically turns these certificates into tradeable goods, as well as assigning them a predefined value (minimum price), as seen below.