Kyrgyz president comments on rolling blackouts, announces tariff increase

The President of Kyrgyzstan posted a comment on his Facebook page in connection with the situation in which power industry specialists started using rolling blackouts.

“In Soviet times, we had an excess of electricity production, and we exported it to neighboring countries,” he said, according to 24kg.

“Unfortunately, not a single hydroelectric power station has been built over the years of independence. Our population has more than doubled. The number of buildings has increased exponentially. If in 1991 electricity consumption was nine billion, today it is about 16 billion.

High power transformers and high voltage lines were not renewed. Depreciation of electrical equipment reached more than 80 per cent. These structures were built during the Soviet Union and are still in operation.

At the same time, the debt of the power industry is 137 billion soms ($1.591 million). Roughly speaking, the domestic power sector is half-dead,” President Japarov wrote.

The head of state added that about 50 medium and small hydropower plants are being built, and preparation is underway for the construction of Kambarata HPP-1.