During Week 26 (22–28 June 2026), electricity consumption across monitored Southeast European markets increased 12.7% week on week to 18.41 TWh. The rise coincided with a noticeably tighter summer market as heat-driven demand grew. The same week also saw stronger evening price pressure alongside higher thermal generation.
Wholesale prices climb across regional markets
Higher consumption translated into weekly average wholesale electricity prices rising across most markets. Hungary recorded the highest level at €149.92/MWh, followed by Romania at €148.78/MWh, Italy at €144.67/MWh, and Croatia at €139.09/MWh. Serbia averaged €110.77/MWh, while Bulgaria reached €104.24/MWh.
Greece remained just below the €100/MWh threshold, averaging €99.98/MWh, and also posted a notable weekly increase. Türkiye traded independently of the wider regional trend, averaging €27.39/MWh despite a significant percentage gain.
Demand growth drives tightening, not just fuel costs
The main factor behind the market tightening was a rapid acceleration in electricity demand rather than fuel costs alone. Italy recorded the largest consumption increase, adding more than 1.2 TWh to reach 6.49 TWh. Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and Greece also registered substantial growth.
The data point to how quickly temperature changes and air-conditioning demand can shift operating conditions in Southeast Europe. Market balance depends on differences in hydro availability, thermal plant output, renewable generation levels and electricity imports across countries.
Renewables and hydro rise but fall short of demand
Generation increased during the week but did not fully relieve market pressure. Variable renewable energy production rose 11.7% to 4.27 TWh, supported mainly by stronger wind output. Solar generation stayed broadly unchanged, while renewable gains varied by market.
Hydroelectric production declined 2.8% to 3.51 TWh, reducing operational flexibility during elevated demand periods. With renewables and hydro insufficient to cover the consumption increase, balancing shifted toward conventional generation.
Thermal output expands as system balancing tightens
Thermal power plants played a larger role in meeting demand during the week. Thermal generation rose 24.7% to 6.52 TWh, including gas-fired output up 25.5%. Coal and lignite generation increased by 23.6% compared with the previous week.
This higher reliance on conventional generation reinforced elevated wholesale electricity prices across much of the region. The latest market data also indicate that peak-hour pricing is becoming more important for summer trading.
The highest-priced periods are increasingly tied to the evening demand ramp associated with cooling needs rather than baseload supply alone determining value. For July, market performance for industrial consumers, electricity traders and renewable producers is expected to depend on sustained summer demand, thermal generation costs, hydro availability and cross-border flexibility as temperatures continue to rise.
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