Uzbekistan Plans Gradual Shift From Gas to Electricity

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan intends to gradually reduce the use of natural gas and transition the population to electricity, including for home heating and cooking, First Deputy Minister of Energy Umid Mamadaminov said during a meeting of the People's Democratic Party faction in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis.

The statement came in response to a question from Shokirjon Akhmedov, a deputy representing the Ferghana region and member of the Committee on Entrepreneurship, Competition Development and Industry, regarding potential gas supply issues in the Ferghana Valley during the upcoming autumn and winter. Akhmedov asked whether lawmakers could assure regional residents that there would be no gas disruptions during the heating season, noting that citizens expect concrete guarantees.

Mamadaminov did not provide a direct answer regarding the gas supply situation. Instead, he stated that state policy foresees a gradual phase-out of natural gas in favor of electrification. He noted that the public must understand that gas supplies will decline rather than increase each year. According to the official, the main objective is a gradual transition to electrical power for domestic needs, including residential heating and cooking.

The deputy's question was raised during discussions on providing energy resources to the population for the upcoming autumn-winter period, focusing specifically on whether the Ferghana Valley could avoid gas supply problems.

Earlier, National Revival Party Chairman Alisher Kadyrov proposed building new residential homes without gas connections, arguing that natural gas could be redirected from domestic consumption toward economic development.

At the end of December 2025, authorities also considered introducing reduced electricity tariffs for residents of buildings equipped with electric stoves instead of gas stoves. Discounts were also discussed for consumers in non-gasified areas who do not receive liquefied gas or coal at subsidized prices. However, the initiative received no further development after the end of the winter period.

The issue of transitioning from gas to electricity is being discussed against the backdrop of declining domestic production of natural gas, oil, and coal. In early August, Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev stated that gas production was insufficient to meet national demand and suggested increasing the use of solar energy.