{"id":1356471,"date":"2026-02-11T12:21:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T10:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/in-search-of-the-guilty-who-really-controls-the-light-switch\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T04:01:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T02:01:30","slug":"in-search-of-the-guilty-who-really-controls-the-light-switch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/in-search-of-the-guilty-who-really-controls-the-light-switch\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Really Holds the Power Switch?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: Author’s Facebook<\/a> page<\/em><\/p>\n

Ukraine\u2019s energy crisis has reached a critical point across much of the country. People are exhausted\u2014and understandably so. In the search for someone to blame, criticism is often directed at the government, energy companies, or local authorities. But to understand where responsibility truly lies, let\u2019s take a closer look at Kharkiv\u2019s energy supply as a telling example.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many people believe that the mayor personally approves the schedules or can \u201cgive the command\u201d to turn on the lights in Saltivka or Oleksiyivka, or in every specific house. This is a myth. This is how it really works.<\/p>\n

The decision to limit electricity consumption is made by NPC Ukrenergo, the state operator of Ukraine\u2019s power system. When the nationwide deficit is significant\u2014due to damage to CHP plants, substations, high-voltage lines, and other infrastructure\u2014Ukrenergo sets specific consumption limits for each region. For example, the Kharkiv region may be required to reduce its electricity use by 30% on a given day.<\/p>\n

Having received the limits, the local operator, in our case, JSC \u201cKharkivoblenergo,\u201d is directly involved in the distribution. This is a separate structure that is not subordinate to the city or regional authorities. It is their dispatchers who calculate the schedules to meet the limits and technically disconnect the lines.<\/p>\n\t\t