Uzbekistan is launching an initiative to create a unified energy passport for every mahalla. This document will contain detailed information about consumers, as well as the current condition of electrical and gas networks, and will indicate the need for repair and modernization work in the infrastructure.
Based on the collected data, it will be possible to proactively identify areas requiring infrastructure updates, as well as calculate the necessary timelines and funding volumes for carrying out the work. Khodjayev emphasized that this approach will allow a transition from reactive troubleshooting to proactive systemic planning, enabling the early determination of measures if existing capacities cannot meet the growing needs of the population and businesses.
In parallel, the energy sector plans to expand digital interaction capabilities with end-users. For this, a mobile application will be developed, which will be integrated with existing billing and information systems. Through this application, residents will be able to check information about the status of personal accounts and debts, as well as report problems with electricity or gas supply, bypassing calls to the call center.
Furthermore, there is a plan to increase the number of request processing centers and improve the speed of responding to citizens' inquiries. Special attention will be paid to minimizing losses of electricity and natural gas through the active use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence. These tools will be used to analyze risks, detect problematic sections, and prevent accidents.
Authorities also intend to simplify the procedure for implementing liquefied gas imported by entrepreneurs from abroad and create additional conditions for its sale to both the public and commercial entities. Previously, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev instructed relevant agencies to strengthen the energy base, reduce the frequency of emergency outages, and guarantee stable supply of electricity and gas to all facilities.
Uzbekistan is being considered as a potential fuel supplier for Kyrgyzstan. The head of the Kyrgyz cabinet, Adylbek Kasymaliev, stated that the republic is capable of supplying its neighboring country with up to twenty thousand tons of its products monthly.
According to Kasymaliev's information, negotiations took place with the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Abdullah Aripov, regarding this issue. Currently, Kyrgyzstan imports over 90% of the required fuel.
Against the backdrop of reduced purchasing opportunities in Russia, the authorities of Kyrgyzstan are actively seeking alternative partners, among whom Uzbekistan, as well as Belarus, China, and Azerbaijan, are mentioned. However, there is currently no information about the signing of a contract or the approximate timeline for the start of supplies from Uzbekistan.
Previously, an agreement was reached between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on the creation of an Interstate Council and increasing bilateral trade turnover to two billion dollars.
A new set of measures is being developed in Uzbekistan aimed at developing the social protection system. These proposals concern expanding access to education for children with disabilities, changing the approach to supporting the homeless and victims of human trafficking, and transitioning transport benefits to a digital format.
These initiatives were announced at a meeting attended by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. It was noted that the social assistance system has significantly strengthened over the past years: the number of types of social services has increased from 23 to 140, and the annual coverage has reached 4.6 million cases, with almost half of these cases resolved at the mahalla level.
Special attention is paid to children with special educational needs. Currently, there are over 168 thousand children with disabilities registered in the country, but about 34.6 thousand of them do not participate in the educational process. To eliminate this problem, targeted work with families is planned, where each child's needs will be assessed at an early stage to select optimal learning conditions. A pilot project is scheduled for October 2026 in the Khorezm and Navoi regions.
Starting from the new academic year, individual study plans will be introduced in specialized schools. Assistants and helpers will be provided to visually impaired teachers and primary school students. Private educational institutions that open correctional classes near children's residences can apply for state subsidies, and the most successful projects will be awarded grants annually.
Furthermore, starting in 2027, a voucher system is planned to provide children with necessary assistive technologies, such as Braille displays and text-to-speech devices. Additional conditions will be provided for people with disabilities during exams, including extended time, assistance from assistants, and sign language interpreters.
The reform will also affect people without a permanent place of residence. Existing rehabilitation institutions will be converted into temporary accommodation and social reintegration centers. In these centers, people will receive support in restoring documents, receiving medical treatment, acquiring a new profession, and finding employment. Mechanisms for employment support will also be developed, including providing training vouchers and establishing job quotas.
Regarding victims of human trafficking, it is proposed to start the functioning of a system for assessing their situation through 'Inson' centers in September 2026, after which they will be referred to the relevant services. The network of rehabilitation centers for women and children will be expanded by increasing the number of available places. Concurrently, the introduction of separate criminal liability for child trafficking and restricting the activities of individuals involved in such crimes is being considered.
Another significant change concerns simplifying the process of obtaining discounted travel. Currently, more than 48 thousand people use this benefit, and in the future, the entire system will become fully digital. Paper travel tickets will be abolished, and the right to the benefit will be verified using an ID card or biometric passport. Starting in 2027, purchasing discounted tickets will be possible online through the Baraka mobile application.
The President approved all the proposed measures and instructed a thorough elaboration of their implementation process. Relevant agencies must now prepare all necessary documentation and ensure the gradual introduction of new social support mechanisms across the country. It should be noted that in 2025, 4.9 million applications were submitted to Uzbekistan's social protection system, more than double the figure from the previous year, when applications totaled 1.9 million.
Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov left his post as the head of the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan after nearly four years of service. He was replaced by Sherzod Khodjayev, the former director of the Agency for Development and Regulation of the Energy Market. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted significant shortcomings in the functioning of the fuel and energy complex. The change in leadership occurred against a backdrop of numerous industry problems, including a major energy crisis in the winter of 2023, constant power supply outages, high loads on the energy system, as well as the fight against corruption and embezzlement.
Mirzamakhmudov began leading the Ministry of Energy in September 2022, transitioning from the position of general director of the Atomic Energy Development Agency. Within the first months of his tenure, the country faced serious difficulties. As winter approached, there was a shortage of natural gas for thermal power plants, which provide about 90% of electricity generation. This forced the energy system to operate under increased load, and starting in November 2022, residents in several regions began experiencing power interruptions.
To prevent a failure in the Central Asian unified power system, the National Dispatch Center required regional energy companies to reduce consumption. The Ministry of Energy leadership attributed this to gas shortages. At that time, Deputy Minister Sherzod Khodjayev asserted that the outages were a forced measure due to insufficient generating capacity: when 245 million kWh was needed, stations only produced 230–232 million kWh. Khodjayev insisted that planned outages should not exceed one hour per day, and violators would be punished. The Ministry of Energy also introduced saving measures by restricting street lighting and advertising LED screens.
Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov later confirmed that the restrictions were necessary, as abandoning them could lead to even worse consequences for the energy system, explaining this by the abnormally high seasonal demand. Nevertheless, this first winter demonstrated the system's unpreparedness for peak loads, leading to mass outages and the beginning of a prolonged crisis.
The situation worsened in January 2023 due to abnormal cold weather, with temperatures dropping to 20 degrees below zero in some places. Record consumption of gas and electricity led to prolonged interruptions in the supply of electricity, heat, and gas. Residents were left without basic services for hours or even days.
Numerous complaints about multi-day outages were recorded in Tashkent: in the Yunusabad district, the lights could be out for more than a day, and heating and gas were also restricted. Similar problems were observed in the Mirabad district, where residents could not contact emergency services. People were forced to seek warmth by fires or move to places where electricity was still available. The problem affected not only the periphery but also the central districts of the capital.
At an emergency meeting on January 16, 2023, President Mirziyoyev sharply criticized the work of the energy sector and dismissed several officials: the Hokim of Tashkent, Jakhongir Artykhodjaev; the head of 'Thermal Power Plants', Farhod Abdurakhmanov; Deputy Minister of Energy Sherzod Khodjayev; as well as the heads of 'Regional Power Grids', Ulugbek Mustafayev; 'Uztransgaz', Behzot Normatov; and 'Uzbekneftegaz', Mehriddin Abdullaev. Minister Mirzamakhmudov himself retained his position. The hokims of Samarkand, Namangan, Fergana, Gulistan, and Chirchik were also criticized.
The period of 2023–2024 was marked by the authorities shifting focus to the problem of mass theft of energy resources. After the January crisis, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting, noting that the cold weather revealed not only the weakness of the energy system but also management and control errors. Despite statements about implementing automated metering systems, accounts receivable debt grew, and new consumers connected without proper calculations, leading to the failure of transformer substations in Tashkent.
Particular attention was paid to theft. In December 2022 alone, over 12 thousand cases of illegal consumption of gas and electricity amounting to almost 600 billion soms were identified. The President instructed strengthening energy supervision, reforming the 'Uzenergy Inspection', and tightening control over grid connections. However, solving the problem took time: by the end of 2024, the 'Uzenergy Inspection' reported thefts amounting to 1.4 trillion soms, the revocation of licenses from 51 AGNKC, and the discovery of 91 underground mining farm.
Despite efforts to restore order, problems reappeared in 2025. In June 2025, a transmission line accident in Kazakhstan caused frequency fluctuations in the Central Asian unified power system, requiring Uzbek energy specialists to implement short-term restrictions in several regions.
In the summer of 2025, Tashkent residents complained en masse about regular outages, voltage surges, and lack of information. Problems were recorded in various districts, from Chilanzar to Yunusabad, even after network modernization. Infrastructure failures, such as at the Almazar substation 'Sokin' on June 17, left thousands without power. In local grids, the cause was cited as abnormal heat and increased load from air conditioners, once again calling into question the infrastructure's readiness for seasonal peaks.
At the end of July 2025, power interruptions and voltage drops occurred in Tashkent. The General Prosecutor's Office took control of the situation. Saiyor Abdikarimov, Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee, requested explanations from Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov. Following the investigation, 28 responsible individuals, including the head of GUP 'Tashkent Electric Networks' and the heads of 11 district energy companies, were subjected to disciplinary action. In December 2025, the Ministry of Energy admitted that it failed to timely inform the public about accidents, regardless of weather conditions.
In 2026, the main difficulties began with ensuring gas supply during the cold season. In March, due to falling temperatures and rising demand, the operation of AGNKC was temporarily restricted to redistribute resources and ensure stable gas supply. After stabilizing the gas situation, attention returned to the reliability of power grids in conditions of intense heat. In the summer of 2026, temperatures reached 46–48 degrees in some regions, causing a sharp increase in consumption.
On July 16, a historical maximum daily consumption was recorded in the Unified Energy System of Uzbekistan. Energy specialists warned of possible temporary restrictions in Kashkadaryo, Jizzakh, Khorezm, and Tashkent regions, while over 200 reports of outages were registered in Tashkent. By July 17, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was informed that 39,220 citizen appeals had been received in the first half of 2026, which, although 26.1% less than the previous year, still indicated the need to eliminate specific deficiencies.
