Moscow. 11 January 2008. In December 2007, the power plants of RAO "UES of Russia" increased generation of electricity by 6 percent year-on-year to 72.3 billion kWh from 68.2 billion kWh. Despite the fact that the outdoor temperatures in December were 3.7 degrees above the long-term average monthly temperatures, the country's electricity consumption grew by 5.1 percent.

The hydrological situation in the reservoirs of the key HPPs was unfavourable, so the growing electricity demand, which in December increased by 11.2%, was met by TPPs.

The most rapid growth in electricity use was observed in the Chita (20.3%) and Chechen Energy Systems (14.5%), reaching a record level of nearly 30 percent in the Republic of Khakassia. Electricity consumption in the Moscow Energy System and Leningrad Energy System grew by 8.2 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively.

Previously, in November 2007, there was an increase in electricity consumption which called for an appropriate increase in electricity output. In November 2007, electricity consumption grew by 4.2 percent yoy. The output of RAO UES power plants grew by 4.7 percent. The greatest increase in electricity consumption was observed in the Chechen (16.9%), Smolensk (16.5%), and Kaliningrad (9.6%) Energy Systems. In the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg electricity use grew 6.6 percent and 5.8 percent, respectively.

According to the recent reports, RAO UES power plants increased generation in 2007 to 705.8 billion kWh from 695 billion kWh in 2006. According to the preliminary data, the country's electricity consumption totalled 985.2 billion kWh in 2007, an increase of 2.3 percent on 2006.

This was due to the abnormally high outdoor temperatures observed in most parts of Russia in the winter of 2006-2007, which exceeded the long-term averages by almost 9 degrees.