Kazakhstan Withdraws From Regional Power Grid

ASTANA -- Kazakhstan has announced it is suspending its participation in the Central Asian unified energy grid and will redirect electricity supplies for domestic use.

Murat Mukhamedsaliev, the spokesman for Kazakhstan's national energy network (KEGOK), said on February 26 that extra electricity exports to Tajikistan, for example, led to power outages in southern Kazakhstan.

KEGOK said in a statement that the decision to keep the electricity in Kazakhstan was made "to ensure the reliability of energy supply to domestic customers."

In Kyrgyzstan, officials said Kazakhstan's move would mean rationing electricity to about half of Kyrgyzstan.

compiled from agency reports