A cold spell that hit Russia last winter put a serious strain on the country's power grid, and rising energy consumption this year created a generating capacity shortfall.
Anatoly Chubais, speaking after a regular session of the CIS Electricity Council in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana, that UES would review its import and export relations with neighboring Ukraine, Belarus, Caucasus countries, and the Baltic States, to minimize electricity exports and maximize imports.
"An extremely difficult situation is currently developing in Russia with the shortfall in power capacity," Chubais said. "Given this situation, we are forced to take measures to maximally use current capacity during the autumn-winter [consumption] peak."
He added that there would be no major changes to export and import relations between Russia and Kazakhstan.
In mid-September, Unified Energy System approved a list of 16 regions in Russia where power supply this winter will be restricted.
Ukrainian Deputy Energy Minister Oleksiy Sheberstov said in late September that Ukraine was ready to help Russia cover its electric power deficit with the spare capacity of its power plants, particularly the Krasnodar Territory in southern Russia that borders on Ukraine.
"Russia is facing an electric power deficit and has asked us for export help," Sheberstov said, adding that the country had spare power capacity totaling 5 million kilowatts, at three power plants.
He suggested that Russia supply natural gas to the plants in exchange for electric power.
"One power unit with a capacity of 800 MW needs some 130 million cubic meters of gas per month," Sheberstov said.
