On 11 July 1924 the first World Power Conference took place in London and a permanent organisation was formally created under the name „World Power Conference – WPC” (later to become the World Energy Council), having 41 founding states, among which Romania as well. In the same year, the Romanian participants in the first WPC, professors Constantin Bușilă and Constantin Budeanu, registered Romania as a founding state of the World Power Conference and thus, the Romanian National Committee of the World Energy Council was created.
In order to mark the Centennial Anniversary of both organisations, our Committee published the Monograph “Centenary of the Romanian National Committee of the World Energy Council, 1924-2024” written by Elena Ratcu. The volume was editted in Romanian and English by AGIR Publishing House.
The Foreword of the Monograph is written by professor Florin Teodor Tănăsescu, PhD, Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy, who wrote among others: “I have read with great interest this work, drawn up by the Romanian Member Committee, written by Mrs. Elena Ratcu and dedicated to the Centenary celebration of the World Energy Council and of its Romanian Member Committee. It is a successful endeavour in reminding us people and facts with major roles in the 100 years lifetime of both organisations, while also highlighting the most significant actions of the Romanian specialists involved in the Council’s activities. The book impresses not only through the wealth of information, the careful and rigorous presentation of the projects addressed to, but also through revealing the intelligent way in which the projects and ideas promoted by the Council were acquired and developed by the Romanian Member Committee, depicting challenges and finding out technical answers to them. The author also points out the role that the World Energy Council had in overcoming the great challenges in the field of energy, oil crisis, promotion of nuclear energy and of new energy sources, energy transition and digititalisation, energy and the environment, the close collaboration of the Romanian Member Committee with the World Enegy Council. A history of 100 years since the Romanian Member Committee foundation, written with competence and passion, perhaps among the very few of this kind, remains as a testimony to the efforts of the Romanian power engineers in developing this Commitee and also recalling the facts and people behind them. Let us bring a pious memory to those who passed away and convey our gratitude to all those who are keeping the Committe as active as it is now, wishing them many years to come and many successful professional results to enrich the tradition left by our forerunners”
The Monograph highlights several major activites developed by the Romanian Member Committee of the World Energy Council over the last century, corroborated with the key events of the Council, and reveals its role in the development of energy-environment sectors in the country, while also commemorating the history of the two organisations. It is also a means of reflection on the role played by the two organisations at the intersection of domestic and foreign politics, as well as on the cultural and social changes in the energy transition period. The also volume depicts a series of retrospective historical information that emphasize the long standing role played by the World Energy Council and by its Romanian Member Committee in the global and local energy community. Noteworthy science and technology personalities who made an overwhelming contribution to the economic development of the country are also honoured.
There are not many organisations in the world that enjoy the anniversary of a lifetime century and remain as significant and faithful to its initial vision, mision and role they were created for, as the World Energy Council founded in London in 1924 by lord Daniel N. Dunlop.
There are also very few organisations at national level, which successfully turn 100 years, as the Romanian Member Committee, founded in the same year, 1924, thanks to professor Constantin Bușilă, the first chairman of the Romanian MC, making Romania one of the 41 founding states of the Council.
Let us keep their spirit alive and prepare for other decades of success!
