MOSCOW, September 13 (RIA Novosti) - Unified Energy System [RTS: EESR] has approved a list of 16 regions in Russia where power supply this winter will be restricted, the head of the country's electricity monopoly said Wednesday.
"This does not mean that we will cut power supplies to these regions completely. It means that we will limit their energy consumption to avoid emergency situations in the power supply network," Anatoly Chubais said.
The UES head did not disclose the names of the regions on the list, but he said power supply restrictions last winter were imposed in three Russian regions.
A cold spell that hit Russia last winter put a serious strain on the country's power grid, and the country's growing energy consumption this year created a deficit of electricity generation capacity.
"Energy demand has grown 150% in the last eight months," Chubais said.
Earlier he warned that Russia is entering a period of power supply shortage in dozens of regions, and said the only solution to the problem is massive energy sector investment.
"I hope it [the shortage] will not lead to serious accidents," the UES head said. "Will it affect power supplies to consumers? I would say, yes."
"All existing capacity [in the energy sector] is operating at the limit," Chubais said.
