Electricity sector in Russia

The electricity sector in Russia describes electricity in Russia. In the year 2008 electricity as gross production was produced with gas 48%, coal and peat 19%, hydro electricity 16% and nuclear power 16%.

The electric power industry has been a state monopoly since Soviet times. After the collapse of the Soviet Union Unified Energy System of Russia RAO UES was founded as state-owned (50%) company. From 1992-2008 it was the largest electric power holding company. After power outages such as the one in Moscow 2005, privatization started in 2006. RAO UES merged into UES FGC in 2008, besides spinning off more than 2 dozen companies. Price increase followed, 3-4 times the margin set by regulatory authorities. In November 2011, then prime minister Vladimir Putin tasked the Ministry for Economic Development (Russia), the Ministry of Energy (Russia) and the 'Federal Tariffs Service' to draft a government resolution restricting the profitability of electric utilities. This "restricted the ability of electric utilities to make money from providing services other than supplying electricity" As of 2013, Russia had no wholesale electricity market. The Ministry for Energy of Russia, concerned with price increases envisions a wholesale market under bi-lateral contracts between consumers and specific power plants. Inter RAO and Gazprom Energy Holding were lobbying for a different one.

In 2008 the end use of electricity was 4.3% (726 TWh) of the world total (16,819 TWh). In 2008 the gross production of electricity was 5.1% (1,038 TWh) of the world total (20,181 TWh).

According to the IEA the Russian gross production of electricity was 1,038 TWh in 2008 and 930 TWh in 2004 giving the 4 ^th top position among the world producers in 2008. Top ten countries produced 67 % of electricity in 2008. The top producers were: 1) United States 21.5% 2) China 17.1% 3) Japan 5.3% 4) Russia 5.1% 5) India 4.1% 6) Canada 3.2% 7) Germany 3.1% 8) France 2.8% 9) Brazil 2.3% and 10) South Korea 2.2%. The rest of the world produced 33%.

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