Concern is rising in Central Asia about the region’s ability to generate sufficient heat and electricity during the upcoming winter season. Worries are perhaps greatest at present in Kyrgyzstan, where demand has surged in recent weeks due to the early onset of cold weather.
An October 29 report published by the 24.kg news agency highlighted that Central Asia’s power grid is fragile, at risk of breaking down in winter. It cited a Eurasian Development Bank study of the grid’s performance in 2024 that showed it was frequently overloaded, forced to sustain loads that “reached 105–123 percent of the permissible values.”
“Among the problematic areas identified were interstate energy links between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as other large sections of the region’s energy system,” according to the 24.kg analysis.
by Eurasianet Coming winter to test Central Asia’s power grid
