Moscow, 9 February 2006. At its meeting held today, the Emergency Management Center* noted that, despite the relatively warmer weather, electricity consumption in the Moscow Energy System remained high during the peak loads in the evening of 8 February and the morning of 9 February.

Yesterday evening, energy consumption in the Moscow Region peaked at 15,900 MW, and this morning the peak load was 15,550 MW. The restrictions* imposed on the Moscow Region's industrial consumers amounted to 476 MW during the evening peak load (5 pm – 9 pm) of 8 February, and 246 MW during the morning peak load (8 pm – 1 pm) of 9 February.

The Moscow energy system is operating without breakdowns. The power plants are utilizing all their equipment, which runs at its maximum. The temperature of water in the district heating networks corresponded to the weather conditions.

In the evening of 9 February, the energy consumption is expected to be high at 15,900 MW. Accordingly, power restrictions of 500 MW will be preserved for some industrial consumers in Moscow and the surrounding region between 5 pm to 9 pm.

Despite the relatively warmer outdoor temperatures expected tomorrow, 10 February, electricity load will remain high in Moscow and the surrounding region. This is due to the cooling of residential and commercial buildings caused by the prolonged period of cold weather. The Centre resolved to preserve the energy conservation regime only in the evening, between 5pm and 9 pm, with the power supply restrictions making 296 MW.

The supply reduction schedules have been agreed with the Governments of Moscow and the Moscow Region, and the members of the Emergency Management Center to coordinate of actions in the Moscow energy system during the cold period. The power supply reductions will not affect social facilities, buildings of the government and state authorities, medical institutions, military units, facilities of the Ministry of the Interior, the Federal Security Service, nuclear centers, underground railways ("metro"), etc.

During the weekend, no power restrictions are expected to be introduced in the Moscow Energy System. However, as ordered by OAO "UES SO-CDA", the system operator, the "high-risk situation" will remain in place in the energy system. This means that, if the situation in the energy system becomes abnormally complicated, the dispatching staff will be obliged to carry out special measures aimed at increasing the UES reliability.

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* The meetings of the Emergency Management Center are attended by senior executives of the Moscow Generation Company, Moscow City Grid Company and Moscow Region Grid Company, the 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, Minister of Utilities, Fuel and Energy of the Moscow Region Government Viktor Beshkarev, Head of the Main Directorate of Russia's Ministry of Emergencies for the city of Moscow Aleksandr Yeliseyev, and representatives of the Moscow Military District HQ.

** The deliveries of power to industrial consumers will be reduced with advance notice given to each such consumer. These measures were taken pursuant to Resolution of the Russian Government No. 664 of 1999 and are designed to provide a reliability margin in the energy system required to prevent any possible local problems from cascading into a massive blackout.

The energy companies submitted for approval by the Fuel and Energy Department of the Moscow City and Moscow Region a list of consumers to which electricity supply would be reduced during a period of peak load in the energy system caused by prolonged low temperatures. Such consumers primarily include auxiliary facilities of industrial enterprises.