Electricity and Hydropower Transparency

Focus Areas

Poor electricity and hydropower governance has seriously affected the lives of citizens in Central Asia. The prevalence of electricity cuts and blackouts in upstream countries in recent years have underscored the shortcomings by relevant institutions and by the authorities that manage energy delivery in the region. At the core of these issues is the lack of accountability in public utilities. Processes that involve the generation of electricity and its distribution as well as investments in and revenues created by the sector should be open to public review.

The Central Eurasia Project funds research that sheds light on the formal and informal set-up of the energy sector in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, but also in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. It also funds networking activities such as conferences, study visits and roundtables between researchers, practitioners, politicians and other stakeholders from the US, the EU and Central Asia. On an operational level, the project provides resources to support organizations that work to enhance electricity and hydropower governance in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.