In the city of Sysert, located in the Sverdlovsk region, residents have reportedly established an underground mining operation inside garage spaces that involves stealing electricity. The report from the portal E1 highlights this alarming development and the local response it has triggered.
Estimates indicate that about 1.16 million rubles worth of electricity was siphoned off through these improvised mining setups. The financial impact underscores how small-scale operations can accumulate substantial losses for utility networks when executed at scale across many garages in a single area.
Rosseti Ural, a major regional energy company, disclosed that on December 20 a substation within their network experienced a 40 percent overload of power equipment and a noticeable decline in the quality of electricity delivered to customers. Such strain on infrastructure raises concerns about reliability for households and businesses alike and points to the broader risks associated with unmetered power usage tied to crypto mining activities.
Officials reported that there were clear indications of unauthorized connections to garages where commercial cryptocurrency mining is taking place. This kind of activity not only breaches legal and regulatory norms but also creates safety hazards for the station and nearby residents. Local authorities have stated that enforcement measures will be taken against those involved in the unauthorized operations.
Law enforcement agencies are preparing to move forward with actions against the miners. Community leaders stress the importance of identifying and stopping illicit connections to protect the integrity of the energy grid and to prevent further damage to the electrical network. The situation serves as a case study in how small, dispersed operations can collectively create big problems for utilities and neighborhoods alike.
There has been ongoing discussion at the national energy ministry about how changes in electricity pricing would affect consumers once differentiated tariffs are implemented. The plan is designed to ensure that households and small users are protected while those with extraordinary consumption patterns contribute fairly to the system. Earlier, the Federal Antimonopoly Service proposed introducing electricity tariffs from January 1, 2024 to address the issue of gray mining and to promote legal, transparent energy use. These discussions reflect a broader effort to balance affordability with grid stability and the push toward formalizing mining activities where possible.
Recent statements from the energy ministry show support for bringing mining activities into a regulated framework. The objective is to reduce illegal consumption, improve grid reliability, and ensure that the economic benefits from energy use are distributed within the bounds of the law. The evolving policy landscape signals a move toward clearer rules for energy users while acknowledging the growth of crypto mining as a legitimate sector that requires proper oversight and compliance. [Citation: Regional energy authorities]