Energy Shortage in Southern Russia Proposed to be Covered by "Unloading" Business and Microgeneration

Energy companies and regulators are discussing a set of measures to ensure the reliability of energy supply in the Integrated Energy System (IES) of Southern Russia for the period until the commissioning of new generating capacities, scheduled for 2028–2030. This is reported by the Kommersant newspaper, citing industry sources.

The initiatives are aimed at preventing a power shortage, which last summer already led to rolling blackouts in the region. By 2030, the projected deficit is estimated at 2.4 GW.

Among the key proposed measures is the introduction of an emergency demand management mechanism for small and medium-sized businesses through the Rosatom Demand Management aggregator. During peak loads in winter and summer, program participants could reduce consumption for up to six hours a day for two to three weeks for financial compensation.

The possibility of using retail generation with a total capacity of up to 105 MW is also being considered. The cost of electricity from such sources is estimated at 13–15 rubles per kWh, which is significantly lower than prices on the wholesale market.

Other options under discussion include differentiating electricity transmission tariffs by season, incentivizing the modernization of existing generation to increase capacity, and developing microgeneration.

The System Operator (SO UPS) expressed the opinion that the potential for demand management in the IES of the South is limited due to the small number of large industrial consumers. Regulators emphasize that all discussed measures are preliminary and aimed at finding the most cost-effective solutions to cover the deficit before the introduction of new generation.

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