Russia may introduce “take-or-pay” rule for mining

Russia may introduce a new electricity payment model for crypto mining. The proposal targets large energy consumers such as Bitcoin mining farms and data centers. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak proposed the initiative. According to Kommersant, the proposal was sent to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

The policy could take effect in 2027. It would apply to facilities with power capacity of 670 kW or higher. Under current rules, operators pay for actual electricity consumption. The new system would change that structure.

Companies may have to pay for up to 90% of declared capacity. Payments would depend on contracted power rather than real usage. Government estimates show rapid growth of digital infrastructure. Russian data centers currently account for about 4.5 gigawatts of connected capacity. Around 2.7 gigawatts are associated with cryptocurrency mining operations.

By 2030, new data centers could add at least 2.5 gigawatts. Mining-related capacity may exceed 12.7 gigawatts.

Electricity tariffs and mining industry impact

The proposal introduces a two-part electricity tariff. It separates payment for energy consumption and grid infrastructure. The structure may include:

• payment for consumed electricity;
• separate charge for network infrastructure;
• calculation based on maximum declared capacity.

Energy transmission services may be calculated using different indicators. Possible metrics include:

• average daily peak load;
• average daily load over the billing period;
• fixed share of maximum capacity.

In some cases this share could reach 90% of declared capacity.

The Ministry of Energy says the measure would reduce unnecessary infrastructure construction. It may also limit tariff growth for other electricity consumers. However, industry participants criticize the proposal.

They argue the policy contradicts existing regulations. Federal law No. 244 classifies data centers as communication infrastructure. These facilities currently receive discounted grid connection terms. Connection costs may be reduced by up to 50%.

Industry sources estimate the new policy could significantly raise operating costs. In some cases expenses may increase four to five times. Telecom operator MTS also raised concerns. The company believes the rule could increase the cost of building data centers. It may also affect infrastructure used for artificial intelligence computing.

Nevertheless, the impact may vary between projects. Facilities operating with stable 24-hour workloads may see little change. Bitcoin mining farms often operate at night. Their utilization sometimes remains below 70% capacity. Under the new rule, payments could rise significantly.

Mikhail Brezhnev, co-founder of mining equipment supplier 51ASIC, warned about industry risks. He said expansion of mining farms may slow down. Some operators may switch to self-generated power in remote regions.

Energy analysts link the proposal to uncertainty around future data center demand. Sanctions have limited the supply of advanced GPUs. As a result, predicting AI data center utilization remains difficult. Grid operators therefore seek more stable economic conditions for new energy connections.

Read also: Russia to Lift Siberian Crypto Mining Curbs