Electricity consumption in Russia’s Unified Energy System (excluding isolated systems) decreased in 2025 to 1,161 TWh, a 0.8% drop compared to 2024 (Russian power system operator press release, 14/01/2026). According to the Russian press outlet Kommersant, after four years of growth, the drop in demand is due to record-high average temperatures for the year and a slowdown in economic growth. At the same time, despite the overall decrease in energy consumption, the cost of electricity in the wholesale market continued to rise, largely due to the indexation of gas prices and the increase in coal costs. Corrected from the weather, electricity consumption remained nearly stable (-0.3%).
Meanwhile, electricity generation in Russia’s Unified Energy System totalled 1,166 TWh in 2025, down 1.2% from 2024, according to the System Operator. Thermal power plants accounted for 57.5% of the power generation mix, followed by nuclear power plants (19%), hydropower plants (17%), and power plants operated by industrial enterprises 6%. Renewable energy facilities (wind and solar power plants) provided 0.6% and 0.3% of total generation, respectively.
As of 1 January 2026, the total installed capacity of power plants in the energy system stood at 271 GW, an increase of 1.1 GW over 2025.