Uzbekistan Quality Job Creation as a Cornerstone for Sustainable Economic Growth

Uzbekistan Quality Job Creation as a Cornerstone for Sustainable Economic Growth
Energy efficiency and conservation has been at the forefront of Uzbekistan’s 
energy policy. Uzbekistan has the second-highest efficiency potential in the 
region (second to Kazakhstan), estimated at 32.4 million tons of carbon 
equivalent. Efficiency savings from the power and heat sector alone is 
estimated at 9.6 million tons of carbon equivalent (CCEE 2015).
Based on the law on Rational Use of Energy, Uzbekistan’s road map for 
improving energy efficiency for 2015–2019 provides for the mainstreaming 
of energy efficiency measures in town planning, expanding coverage of 
energy audits, conducting energy certification of apartments and buildings, 
energy labelling household appliances, and developing hydropower (Box 2.3). 
Uzbekistan’s energy efficiency and conservation thrust sees industry as one 
of its priority sectors. In 2010, the government and the World Bank created 
a $25-million funding facility for industrial enterprises undertaking energy-
saving investments. The facility was expanded to $100 million in 2013. It 
identified industrial enterprises such as manufacturing of building materials, 
food processing, and textile manufacturing as target candidates for the facility. 
The project aims to save more than 200 GWh of electricity and lessen carbon 
dioxide emission by 400,000 tons. Across all sectors, the Center for Economic 
Research (2015) suggests complete replacement of incandescent bulbs with 
more energy efficient bulbs (e.g., LED) and upgrading of outdated heating 
boilers and pumps. 
Rehabilitation and updating of electricity generation, transmission, and 
distribution infrastructure is critical to improving the efficiency of the 
power sector. CER (2015) recommends complete modernization of power 
distribution networks and transformers by 2020. New technology such as 
advanced electricity metering can help address commercial losses. Installation 
of smart metering systems is being rolled out nationwide to allow two-way 
communication between the utility and customer meters, and enable the utility 
to remotely disconnect and reconnect supply, thus minimizing manipulations 
by utility officers at the site.
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