Russian power exporter threatens to cut electricity supplies to Azerbaijan

RIA Novosti
30 Mar 07

Moscow, 30 March: The company Inter RAO UES [Unified Energy Systems of
Russia], the only operator for the import and export of electricity in
Russia, could cut off supplies to Azerbaijan from 1 April, which
threatens the country with a rise in prices on the domestic energy
market, RIA was told by a source in the company.

If it loses power transmissions from Russia, Azerbaijan, whose power
system is subject to peak surges, could come up against a serious
shortage of electricity.

The source said supplies to Azerbaijan are currently being made under
a contract signed in 2006: it is in force until the end of the current
year, but in the area of supplies only until 31 March. "From 1 April,
unless we receive acceptable proposals from Azerbaijan, supplies could
be halted," the source told the agency. [Passage omitted]