OREANDA-NEWS. On 07 April 2009 was announced, that dynamics of energy consumption is one of the main indicators of the regional social and economic development. And, of course, the global economic crisis affected this indicator. In quarter I, 2009, energy consumption rate fell down by 10% as compared with the same period of the last year. This was due to reduction of production volumes in mining and metallurgical enterprises and concrete plants.

However, despite decrease in consumption of electric energy by large industrial companies, within three months of the current year energy consumption in the agricultural industry and individual housing districts grew by 19.4%. Presence of such perspective directions has a special importance in the crisis.

Thanks to execution of the priority national project power consumption increased in all regions of the industrial system. So, the considerable growth of energy consumption (33.9%) was achieved in poultry  farms, in the sphere of dairy husbandry this indicator grew by 23.6%, at mixed fodder production plants, by 21.2%. Hog-breeding farms of the region increased energy consumption by 3.99%. A stable growth of electricity consumption proves continuing development of the industrial sector of the regional economy.

Despite difficult economic conditions the Belgorod Region inhabitants continue to construct housing for themselves. In quarter I, 2009, over three thousand new electricity consumers were connected to the distribution networks of Belgorodenergo, a branch of IDGC of Centre, JSC. In total in 2009 power engineers plan to connect over six thousand electric installations of physical and legal persons on the territory of the region. As a whole, active development of individual housing microdistricts lead to growth of electricity consumption by the regional population. By the results of quarter I this indicator grew by 14% and will grow with start of the construction season.

In the current year Belgorod workers will continue construction of South-Western and Ulitka (Snail) housing microdistricts and hog-breeding farms in Alexeyevsky district and will start construction of  slaughter farms in Yakovlev district, mixed fodder plant in Prokhorov district. Along with growth of production output the Belgorod enterprises will create new work places, which is especially important in the current situation on the labour market.

Annual growth of energy consumption accompanied by social and economic development of the Belgorod Region required large-scale investments in the regional grid system development. The regional government together with Belgorodenergo, an IDGC of Centre, JSC branch, worked out a 2009-1011 investment programme of reconstruction, technical reequipment and construction of new grid facilities in the amount of RUR 18.3bn.