Energy expert Edhem Bičakčić warns that Bosnia and Herzegovina faces electricity supply restrictions due to drought, neglected transition, and lack of investment, which will directly affect the large Croatian community.
More than 300,000 Croats living in Bosnia and Herzegovina could soon face serious restrictions in electricity supply. This is the warning from energy expert and former Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH, Edhem Bičakčić, who on Monday, August 10, 2026, did not hide his concern about the state of the country's energy sector in an interview for N1 television.
Bičakčić emphasizes that climate change brings increasingly longer dry periods and extreme weather conditions that directly threaten energy security. Although BiH committed to following European energy policies back in 2006 when it joined the Energy Community, the transition to a more sustainable system has failed. "But we are not following that, and we have not entered the transition that is necessary to overcome this. That is why the cuts here will be drastic," Bičakčić said.
According to data from the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERK), the production structure in BiH remains concerning. More than half of the electricity comes from thermal power plants, while renewable sources, including hydro, solar, and wind power, together account for only 45.4 percent of total production.
An additional problem is growing consumption. The increasing number of air conditioners, heat pumps, and other electrical appliances is not being matched by the construction of new production capacities. Although this year's favorable hydrology has so far kept reservoirs stable, Bičakčić warns that this is only a temporary situation.
"When you see reservoirs suddenly emptying, it's clear that a crisis is coming. Once we exhaust them, the next measure is electricity supply restrictions," he explained. He believes that the key mistake was neglecting coal production before securing adequate replacement sources, stressing that the transition must be gradual.
The situation is further complicated by the European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), whose full implementation began in early 2026. This mechanism forces BiH to introduce a system for charging carbon dioxide emissions, establish an organized electricity market, and certify green energy-requirements that the country currently does not meet.
"We are the only country that has not established a power exchange. We also need an agency to certify green energy," Bičakčić warned, pointing to enormous institutional and infrastructural shortcomings that, combined with weather disasters, could lead to a serious energy crisis.
