“System operator” predicted a drop in energy consumption in 2026

Electricity consumption in the unified energy system of Russia by the end of 2026 may be reduced by 0.5% compared to the previous year, said the head of the System Operator Fedor Opadchy at the International Forum "Russian Energy Week - 2026", reports TASS.

“Since the beginning of the year, we have minus 0.5%. For the year, we still think that somewhere we will also decline by 0.5%. That's the forecast. Of course, it all depends heavily on the weather, he said.

Earlier, Opadchy also allowed a decrease in energy consumption by the end of 2026. At the same time, according to the forecast of the System Operator, in the next five years, electricity consumption in the unified energy system of Russia will grow by an average of 1.87% annually and by 2032 will reach 1.301 trillion kWh.

In 2025, energy consumption in Russia decreased by 0.8%, to 1.161 trillion kWh.

In January, System Operator reported record power consumption in the power systems of Central Russia, Moscow and the Voronezh region due to low temperatures. In the unified power system of the Center, the indicator reached 42,469 MW, in the Moscow power system - 20,423 MW, and in the Voronezh one - 2207 MW. The record was also recorded in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, where power consumption reached 7625 MW.