Moscow. 22 January 2006. Today, the Emergency Management Centre* held another meeting to coordinate the actions taken in the Moscow Energy System during the period of extreme cold. The meeting discussed the activities undertaken by the energy system in connection with another spell of cold weather which is expected next week in Moscow and the area surrounding Moscow.

According to the Centre, in the evening of 21 January, the power consumption in the Moscow energy system amounted to 15,072 MW.

On 22 January, the morning peak load of 12,773 MW was recorded at 11:00. During the evening peak of 22 January, the load in the Moscow energy system is expected to be 13,154 MW.

As noted at the meeting, the Moscow Energy System was working stable, with no power outages. The temperature of water in the district heating networks corresponded to the weather conditions. No restrictions were imposed on the deliveries of electricity to industrial consumers in Moscow on Sunday.**

At the same time, early next week, the power consumption is expected to grow significantly. The morning and evening peak loads on 23 January are expected to reach 15,500 MW and 16,200 MW, respectively. In this connection, the Centre took a decision to put in place energy saving mode (up to 577 MW) for industrial consumers from 08:00 till 22:30 tomorrow.

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* The meeting was attended by top managers of the Moscow Generation Company, Moscow City Grid Company and Moscow Region Grid Company, heads of the Moscow Region's energy dispatching units, as well as key officers of the RAO UESR administrative staff, Head of the Moscow Municipal Services Directorate and First Deputy Mayor of Moscow Pyotr Aksyonov, and Minister of Utilities, Fuel and Energy of the Moscow Region Government Viktor Beshkarev, and Head of the Main Directorate of Russia's Ministry of Emergencies for the city of Moscow Aleksandr Yeliseyev, representatives of the Moscow Military District.

** Pursuant to Resolution of the Russian Government No. 664 of 22 June 1999, in September 2005, the energy companies submitted for approval of the Fuel and Energy Department of the Moscow City and Moscow Region a list of consumers to which electricity supply would be reduced in a period of peak load in the energy system caused by prolonged abnormally low temperatures. Such consumers primarily include auxiliary facilities of industrial enterprises. The following consumers were not included in such list: social infrastructure, buildings and facilities of state authorities, medical institutions, military units, facilities of the Ministry of the Interior, Federal Security Service, nuclear centers, underground railways, etc.