14.01.2026

On January 14, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on the issues of increasing energy efficiency and implementing market mechanisms in the sphere of electricity supply.

According to the analysis of international experts, Uzbekistan is among the most energy-intensive countries. In particular, almost 50 percent of the final energy consumption in our country accounts for the buildings, and the energy consumption per square meter is several times higher than in European countries. 

In this regard, a separate agency was created last year to implement systemic reforms in the sphere of energy efficiency. The new structure is responsible for reducing energy consumption in the economy at least by 20 percent by 2030, and in state entities and social organizations – by 15 percent. 

The presentation reviewed work plans of the agency for 2026.

Most of the buildings in our country have been constructed in the 60s and 70s of the last century, and the level of their energy losses remains high. In this regard it’s planned to carry out major work on increasing the energy efficiency of the social facilities and residential areas. This year 150 billion soums of subsidies and compensations will be allocated for these objectives. 

It was noted that in the course of increasing energy efficiency of social facilities, with the count of over 30 thousand in the country, it’s necessary to pay special attention to the expansion of participation of international financial institutions and attracting private investments. 

Therefore, in the framework of the investment program of this year 770 social objects will be modernized based on energy efficiency standards. For this, funds of the international financial institutions amounting to $264 million will be attracted. 

Issues related to the development of mechanisms for generating income through energy savings – the development of energy service companies (ESCOs) and the creation of a corresponding market – were also discussed.

Plans were reported on the widespread use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in conducting energy audits of buildings, as well as in the design and modeling of facilities based on energy efficiency standards.

Specific plans to improve energy efficiency in the industrial sector were also outlined. In particular, solar panels are planned to be installed at 142 textile enterprises this year. This will enable enterprises to save 722 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 693 billion soums. There are also plans to modernize 300 pumps in the drinking water supply system.

Particular attention is paid to problems in the centralized heating system. The current high level of energy losses is due to the wear and tear of some boiler rooms and heating networks. In this regard, as part of the modernization of boiler rooms and heating systems and their conversion to a closed system, it is planned to install 400 individual heating points and renovate at least 100 kilometers of heating networks this year.

The responsible persons have been tasked with developing energy efficiency standards and effective rules for the construction, repair, and renovation of buildings.

The presentation discussed the measures taken to introduce competitive market mechanisms in the electricity sector.

In particular, the transfer of low-voltage networks to the private sector will begin in the Samarkand region, and in the next stage, it is planned to scale this practice to Andijan, Jizzakh, Namangan, Syrdarya, Tashkent regions and the city of Tashkent. This is expected to significantly reduce losses by attracting investment in network upgrades.

Information was presented on the progress of work on the formation of a wholesale electricity market.

To date, a list of wholesale consumers who consume more than 10 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually has been compiled. For these enterprises, it has been proposed to introduce a system of electricity procurement on the wholesale market through direct contracts with hourly pricing.

Work is currently underway to create separate regulators for the energy and utilities sectors. Based on foreign experience, a proposal has been put forward to create a single regulator.

Approving the proposals, the President of our country emphasized the importance of improving energy efficiency, rational use of energy resources, and creating a competitive environment in the energy market, and gave appropriate instructions to the responsible persons.

The prosecution and internal affairs authorities are tasked with ensuring strict compliance with legal requirements and the inevitability of liability in the areas discussed, as well as working closely with local authorities to ensure the unconditional implementation of the measures envisaged.