CEO of JSC Rosseti Oleg Budargin and heads of all subsidiaries of the electrical grid company participated in the All-Russian meeting of the Russian Ministry of Energy "On Preparations of Electrical Energy Companies to Work in Autumn-Winter 2014-2015."

Russian Minister of Energy Alexandr Novak, opening the meeting, said that the preparation of energy companies to winter work remains one of the top priorities. "If we consider the accident risks in general I may say that for 9 months of the current year compared to the similar period of the last year the accident rate in generating companies was reduced by 1% and in grid companies - by 4.5%", Alexandr Novak said.

The Russian Minister of Energy also expressed his gratitude to the Rosseti group of companies for the quick restoration of energy supply in the Chelyabinsk region and Chuvashiya, impeded by the "ice rain." He said that it was the first challenge because meteorologists expect often changes of weather at autumn-winter 2014-2015, from cooling till thaw.

Moreover, the Minister thanked Rosseti for urgent help in the preparation of the energy system of the Crimean Federal district to maximum winter pressure. "This work really brings results today," Novak said.

In his report Deputy Minister of Energy Andrey Cherezov talked about the insufficient efficiency and quality of emergency response and restoration works by territorial grid companies not making part of JSC Rosseti and asked regional headquarters responsible for ensuring security of energy supply to establish order in TGOs. "Rosseti effects all works to restore energy supply in its grids quickly, in time and with due quality. And after that they have to arrange works in the grids of other TGOs. I ask regional headquarters in charge of TGOs: either demand from TGOs the appropriate quality of energy facility preparation and use as well as the availability of competent employees or conclude agreements with Rosseti. It is wrong to demand that Rosseti restore TGO facilities. This is another company, with its own zone of responsibility," Cherezov emphasised.

JSC Rosseti in the course of this preparation to the maximum winter pressure established 1217 emergency groups on the basis of line and production parts of distribution and primary circuit grids. It has ensured the implementation of the annual plans of machinery overhaul at substations and energy supply grids as well as the extension and cleaning of transmission line corridors. An overhaul of 155 thousand km transmission lines was effected, corridors with the total area of 120 thousand ha were cleaned, 3100 power transformers and almost 39 thousand transformer substations and almost 50 thousand units of commutation equipment were repaired. 599 joint exercises with the regional emergency bodies and local authorities were conducted to test interaction during the elimination of emergency situations threatening supply interaction during the autumn-winter period.

Representatives from state and municipal authorities, large energy companies and headquarters for energy security in Russian regions also participated in the event.