Moscow, 12 October 2006. RAO "UES of Russia", the Delovaya Rossiya Entrepreneurial Association ("Business Russia") and OPORA Rossii Association signed an Agreement on Joint Action to Address Key Issues in the Electricity Sector. The Agreement was signed by RAO UES Management Board Chairman Anatoly Chubais, Delovaya Rossiya Chairman Boris Titov, and OPORA Rossii President Sergey Borisov.

Under the Agreement, the parties will create a tripartite Consultative Council for electricity sector issues. It will make joint decisions on consumer connection to distribution networks, facilitating the development of the so-called "small-scale" generation and use of innovation technologies in the electricity industry, and improving the quality of goods, works, and services procured by energy companies. The Consultative Council together with the RAO UES Customer Relations Center will review and help resolve disputes with electricity consumers.

In the matters relating to connection to distribution grids, the Consultative Council will focus on preparing proposals to strengthen the regulatory framework needed to attract all kinds of investments in power grid facilities, and setting an economically justified connection fee.

An equally important aspect of the Council's activity will be the creation of mechanisms to attract investments in small-scale generation projects, creation of a regulatory framework ensuring that such facilities have free connection to distribution grids, and coordination of dispatch activities.

The Consultative Council will also facilitate information exchange, coordinate interaction between electricity companies and other industries in the field of innovations, and facilitate development of new efficient technologies used in electricity and heat generation, transmission and distribution.

The Council will inform the business community about the possibilities and advantages the B2B-energo system offers in the procurement of goods, services and technologies needed for electricity entities.