OREANDA-NEWS. An All-Russia meeting of General Directors of RAO UES companies was held on 6-7 October 2006 in Moscow to discuss the progress in the energy companies' preparations for the 2006/2007 autumn and winter period. The event was headed by Chairman of the Management Board of RAO "UES of Russia" Anatoly Chubais. The Meeting was attended by RAO UES top managers and companies' CEOs.

The items on the agenda included preparations for the forthcoming autumn and winter period and operation during the peak loads in 2007-2011 with electricity use rapidly growing in Russia.

RAO "UES of Russia" pays special attention to the winter preparations at the 16 energy systems in the so-called "peak load areas" (PLAs)* as per the list approved by order of RAO "UES of Russia". These energy systems face the possibility of electricity capacity shortfalls during the morning and evening load peaks.

In order to prevent emergencies in the PLA energy systems, power supply may be restricted to some industrial consumers. The lists of facilities affected by such restrictions, as well as the scope of the restrictions, is to be agreed with the local authorities and managers of the business entities concerned. The restrictions will not affect residential consumers, hospitals, schools, kindergartens, social facilities, critical infrastructure and strategic enterprises.

The List of Peak Load Areas which are likely to be affected by energy supply restrictions includes the energy systems of the city Moscow and the surrounding Moscow Region, St.-Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, the southern part of the Republic of Komi, Tyumen Region, Vologda Region, Krasnodar Kray, Republic of Tyva, Republic of Karelia, Republic of Dagestan, Sverdlovsk Region, Perm Region, Chelyabinsk Region, Ulyanovsk Region, Saratov Region, Nizhny Novgorod Region, and Arkhangelsk Region.