Kyrgyzstan warns power supply at risk as demand hits record

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstan urged residents to use less electricity on Friday, warning that its power grid is struggling under the weight of recor...

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstan urged residents to use less electricity on Friday, warning that its power grid is struggling under the weight of record-high winter demand.

The energy ministry warned that unless people reduced electricity use there would be power supply "interruptions", without elaborating, and that hydropower production was at risk.

All of Central Asia is facing energy shortages, in part due to ageing infrastructure, but also due to water shortages curbing the electricity output at hydroelectric plants.

"Consumption of electricity in Kyrgyzstan reached a record level on December 11 and 12. Due to the arrival of winter and a drop in temperatures, the population is using more electricity than normal," Kyrgyzstan's energy ministry said in a statement.

The landlocked, mountainous country gets some 90 percent of its electricity from hydropower, making it especially vulnerable to water shortages.