Moscow to face energy deficit

Moscow will face a 3 to 5 percent energy deficit for the first time in 2004, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov declared at a meeting of the city's government today. According to him, the pace of the advance of the manufacturing industry in Moscow (17.1 percent in the first 8 months of 2003) will result in a 4-percent increase in the volume of energy consumed, which will lead to a deficit. Luzhkov noted that Mosenergo made no efforts to create additional energy generating facilities.

In his turn, Mikhail Goryunov, the Deputy General Director of Mosenergo, said that the company had made an agreement with RAO UES on additional energy supplies in 2004.

At the same time Goryunov admitted that energy deficit would be inevitable in Moscow. Putting into operation new energy generating facilities contradicts demands of ecologists, he stressed.