Kyrgyzstan declares emergency in its energy sector

BISHKEK. July 24 (Interfax) - Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has signed a decree declaring an emergency in the country's energy sector for the period until the end of 2026, the Kyrgyz leader's press service said on Monday.

"For the purpose of taking emergency measures to lead Kyrgyzstan out of the energy crisis related to climate challenges, the low level of water flowing into the Naryn River basin and the shortage of generation capacity in conditions of the growth of energy consumption rapidly outstripping [supply], an emergency shall be declared [in the energy sector] from August 1, 2023 to December 31, 2026," the decree said.

The government has been given a week to authorize the Energy Ministry to determine and allocate land plots suitable for the use of renewable energy sources, including their subsequent transfer to the Green Energy Fund.

Furthermore, the energy minister has been granted the exceptional right for the period of the energy sector emergency to promptly carry out general coordination of the activities of the deputy ministers of agriculture, natural resources, environment and technical oversight who are responsible for the country's land and water resources and subsoil management.

Starting from September 1, the Energy Ministry will have to initiate the termination of the rights to use land plots intended for the construction of energy facilities if such land plots have been used for purposes other than intended or where work to prepare a feasibility study and to design and build energy facilities has not been started.

Energy sector state-owned enterprises, joint-stock companies where the state owns a stake and their subsidiaries have been permitted to procure goods and services from one source as they undertake measures related to the introduction of the emergency in the energy sector.