The State Duma, the lower house of Russian parliament, will on Thursday hold a round table on power supplies to Moscow and the Moscow Region.
The meeting will involve Deputy Energy Minister Andrei Shishkin, Nikolai Shvets, who heads holding company MRSK managing energy sector companies, the Russian capital's power grid company MOESK head Andrei Konovalov and other officials.
Massive blackouts began around Moscow and in other areas in central Russia after an ice storm in late December. The Tver, Nizhny Novgorod, Pskov and Smolensk regions were affected.
It was raining for two days and drops of water froze immediately on power transmission lines and electrical wires. Gales broke frozen trees, which fell on wires, disrupting electricity supplies in entire districts.
Hundreds had to celebrate New Year's Day in darkness in the Moscow Region. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin even suggested that Governor Boris Gromov, Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko and Shvets go to blacked-out districts to mark New Year with their dwellers.
Power supplies to most inhabited localities were restored in early January, but snowfalls and strong winds caused new power outages, whose consequences are still being dealt with.
The participants of Thursday's round table will also discuss the wear of power grid equipment and steps to prevent new blackouts.
MOESK services consumers in Moscow and the Moscow Region. Its key shareholders are MRSK (51%), energy giant Gazprom (31%) and Moscow authorities (8%).
MOSCOW, January 13 (RIA Novosti)
