Businesses voice concerns over proposed cut to solar energy buyout rates

During a meeting with the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (UzLiDeP) on May 4, entrepreneurs expressed frustration over the shifting "rules of the game." One factory owner, who recently installed 350 kW of solar capacity and planned to double that investment, questioned the fairness of the proposal. He noted that while businesses are required to purchase electricity from the state at approximately UZS 1,000 per kWh, being forced to sell their surplus back at UZS 250 per kWh creates a stark and unjust disparity.

Bobur Bekmurodov, a deputy in the Legislative Chamber, confirmed that the relevant parliamentary committee has begun reviewing the issue. He emphasized the need to understand the scale of the problem, noting that numerous entrepreneurs across the country took financial risks and invested billions of soums based on the expectation of the UZS 800 rate. Bekmurodov stated that the committee would demand a detailed calculation to justify the UZS 250 figure and compare it with the rates paid to other energy producers.

However, Bekmurodov also pointed out that the state had not entered into long-term legal obligations to maintain the UZS 800 purchase price indefinitely. This stands in partial contrast to a 2021 presidential decree, which stipulated that the state would guarantee the purchase of surplus energy from renewable sources (up to 1 MW) at 80% of the tariff for Group II consumers for at least 10 years. In October 2025, a draft document from the Ministry of Economy and Finance had already suggested reducing this 80% benchmark to 70%.

The Chairman of UzLiDeP, Aktam Khaitov, acknowledged that the issues go beyond price changes. Many businesses are currently struggling with existing bureaucratic hurdles, including significant delays in receiving payments for the electricity they have already supplied to the national grid.

Khaitov assured that the party would exercise parliamentary oversight, potentially escalating the matter to higher levels of government. "We will study this from a legal perspective – looking at how contracts were structured and what the responsibilities of each party were – before organizing a formal hearing," Khaitov remarked.