Systemically Important Territorial Grid Organization as a Type of Territorial Grid Organizations in the Electric Power Industry

Ensuring reliable electricity supply to consumers remains a pressing issue in the organization of energy supply. The introduction of a new type of grid organization in the electric power industry (a systemically important territorial grid organization (STGO)) is primarily aimed at coordinating energy supply within each constituent entity of the Russian Federation, which will improve the reliability of electricity supply to consumers. The purpose of this study is to analyze legislative provisions establishing the legal position of an STGO as a unified grid organization within a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, providing electric power transmission services regardless of whether the power receivers of a regional electricity consumer are connected to STGO facilities; to determine the legal nature of the STGO criteria established by law, as well as the procedure for designating STGOs within a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. Unlike the TGO Criteria, which are aimed at the determination of whether an entity meets the technical and quantitative characteristics for classification as a natural monopoly entity in the electric power transmission field, the criteria and procedure for designating STGOs are aimed at establishing interaction between the executive body of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation in the field of state tariff regulation, the senior official of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation, and TGOs for designating STGOs within the constituent entity of the Russian Federation for a specified term, provided that the grid organization meets the STGO criteria. The STGO functions are conferred through the adoption by the senior official of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation of a decision on designating an STGO, i.e., through an administrative instrument of such official responsible for formation of the energy supply system within the constituent entity of the Russian Federation. According to the conducted analysis of methods (means) provided by the law that allow STGOs to ensure reliable functioning of power grid facilities located in a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, it can be stated that most methods pertain to private law means of regulation of social relations. This conclusion confirms the relevance of private law institutions for the achievement of publicly significant goals. In turn, the classification of STGOs as electric power industry and natural monopoly entities predetermines the legal position of STGOs in civil circulation as indispensable participants in legal relations in the electric power industry and economic relations in general.