On December 14, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov in an interview explained why power outages are occurring in the country and what steps are being taken to resolve the issue of the energy crisis.

The head of state recalled that the energy deficit in the republic today is 3.9 billion kWh, he also emphasized that during the period of independence not a single new hydroelectric power station was built in the country.

«In 30 years, not a single hydroelectric power station has been built. If during these 30 years at least one small hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 30 MW were put into operation annually, then such an acute shortage would not exist in winter», — he said.

The President noted that despite efforts to commission small hydroelectric power stations today, it has not yet been possible to get rid of the gap between consumption and production.

«I ask people who have endured for 30 years to endure another 3–4 years. When the construction of Kambar-Ata-1, with a capacity of 1860 MW, is completed, the problem of shortage will be completely solved. Then it will be possible to switch to electricity everywhere. I give many instructions to increase electricity production, and if everything goes according to plan, then after the 2030s we will even be able to export electricity» in winter, Sadyr Zhaparov said.

As he recalled, today such small hydroelectric power stations as Bala-Saruu, Kainama, Isyk-Ata, Kok-Art, Isfayram, Kurak-Tektir, Kyshtut and others are already being built and put into operation.

«Our large hydroelectric power stations have not yet been modernized. For example, the Toktogul hydroelectric power station is undergoing complete reconstruction. Next year there will be only one unit left to modernize. When the work is completed, the total capacity will increase by 240 MW. This year we began updating the Uch-Korgon hydroelectric power station. This month we are launching the fourth generator, which will provide an additional 9 MW. After complete reconstruction, 36 MW» will be added, — was shared by the president.

The head of state noted the work on the commissioning of the second hydraulic unit at Kambar-Ata HPP-2. Currently, according to him, a tender has been held, and it is planned to begin work in the first quarter of next year. The launch of the second unit will add another 120 MW of power.

Agreements have been concluded with investors to generate a total of 3 GW of electricity in 2025–2026.

Also, as Sadyr Zhaparov recalled, an agreement was signed with an investor for the construction of a floating solar power plant with a capacity of 1,200 MW on the surface of the Toktogul reservoir, and construction work will begin in the near future.

He recalled that Kyrgyzstan today is forced to import electricity from neighboring countries, but they also have a shortage, and as the cold weather intensifies, negotiations are underway to increase supplies.

«However, power lines coming to us from our neighbors do not always cope with the increased load, heat up and are at risk of accidents. When consumption increases, our energy workers are forced to take regulatory measures. Without such measures, there is a risk of failure of expensive equipment», — said the head of state.

According to the president, one large transformer costs about 140 million soms.

«Imagine if it burns down, we will need to first find funds to replace it. And even if money is found, the manufacturer will require more than 150 days to produce it to order. In addition, delivery and installation will take 60 to 80 days. By then winter» will be over, — he added.

Therefore, as Sadyr Zhaparov explains, in order to prevent such situations, power engineers are forced to switch, turning off the lights for one to two hours.

«I ask our citizens to understand this correctly. Yes, perhaps there will be no electricity for an hour or two. But these measures will help avoid longer and more painful outages. After all, if the transformers burn, then the shutdowns will last for days», — he said.

Sadyr Zhaparov emphasized that the cost of electricity in Kyrgyzstan is 2.72 soms, and it is sold to the population for 1 som 10 tyyns.

According to the statement, 69 thousand families are supplied with electricity at a price of 55 thousand per kWh. Also, residents of mountainous areas — 186 thousand consumers are supplied with electricity for 1 som 10 tyyn without any restrictions.

«Our citizens sometimes show indifference. Due to low prices, they do not save electricity. The simplest example: do not turn off the lights in the rooms when they are not needed. I have repeatedly drawn attention to this: «Turn off the lights in rooms where it is not needed». After all, every burning light — is the flow of water from the Toktogul reservoir. Therefore, please save electricity», — the President addressed the citizens.

As Sadyr Zhaparov said, employees of government agencies, managers, staff of schools and kindergartens, believing that the state will pay for «, irresponsibly leave the lights on in offices and buildings and do not turn off street lighting. All this has an impact on the overall balance.