OREANDA-NEWS. January 28, 2013. The Head of the Department of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) for Control over Electric Power Industry, Vitaly Korolyov took part in a workshop on the “Strategy of Developing Power Supply Network of Russia”, reported the press-centre of FAS.  

The main line of the discussion between participants, that included representatives of executive bodies – the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Federal Tariff Service, as well as representatives of network companies and non-commercial organizations, - was a Concept of the Strategy for Developing Power Supply Network of Russia.

The workshop heard about the draft Strategy; then the participants were able to take part in the Round Table to discuss the main provisions of the Strategy and put forward their vision of the prospective areas for developing power supply network of the Russian Federation.

“It is important to pay attention to the importance of increasing orientation of the network companies towards clients. For this purpose, it is necessary to ensure unconditional compliance with the Rules for Technological Connection to Power Networks, providing for clear order and the procedures for interaction between a network company and a person wishing to use its services for providing technological connection. The statistics of violations in the field of technological connection shows that with a rare exception the network companies will still have to carry out such work. The Recommendation for the companies to adjust their internal regulations for client cooperation in accordance with the current law was issued on behalf of FAS Russia as the most urgent measure within the Strategy framework.

As for the strategic prospects of developing the power supply network of Russia, the issue is very important in light of the Order of the President of the Russian Federation on creating “Russian Networks” Shareholding Company as well as No.2579-r Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 28th December 2012 on approving the Road Map on “Developing Competition and Improving the Antimonopoly Law”, which, in particular, provide for drafting proposals regarding the measures aimed at developing competition in the electric power industry. Significant strategic objectives in this field include construction of power supply network facilities for debottlenecking in order to unite free power transfer zones to develop competition on the wholesale market of electric power and capacity, as well as refusal to pay for technological connection, except connecting the largest facilities, with shifting the costs to the transmission tariff”, said Vitaly Korolyov.