Russia has changed the way cryptocurrency miners can connect to the power grid, placing new mining facilities and related operators in a lower-priority electricity category that can be curtailed during shortages. The move is intended to shield households and other consumers from disruptions when the network comes under strain.
The Russian Energy Ministry confirmed the change on Oct. 9 after the government adopted Resolution No. 1300 on Oct. 6. The decree requires qualifying crypto mining users to take Category 4 electricity connections, a framework that allows authorities to cut supply when capacity is needed elsewhere.
What the new decree changes
Resolution No. 1300 amends Russia’s electricity connection rules by creating a specific requirement for facilities used to mine digital currencies and for companies that provide mining infrastructure services. The measure applies to operators of mining farms, businesses involved in mining pools, and other firms supporting mining activity.
Under the new framework, those users may connect to electricity networks only through Category 4 reliability arrangements. That category carries lower priority than standard supply terms and permits interruptions when the grid faces shortages or operational problems.
The Energy Ministry said mining sites in this category can be disconnected without the advance coordination normally associated with higher-priority users. Officials presented the change as a way to avoid additional mining demand reducing electricity available to other consumers.
Category 4 does not mean a blanket shutdown
The decree does not amount to an immediate nationwide closure of active mining farms. It changes the conditions for obtaining grid access and sets out how mining-related power supply can be handled during shortages.
The text does not say that every facility already operating under a completed higher-priority connection must be moved at once into Category 4. Instead, the rules focus on new grid connection requests and some earlier applications that have not yet finished the approval process.
Mining operators that use the lower-priority arrangement are expected to manage the risk of interruptions themselves. The regulations do not guarantee uninterrupted electricity service for mining equipment during emergency conditions.
How the lower-priority power category works
Russia introduced Category 4 power connections in February 2026 through Resolution No. 103. The category was designed for users willing to accept a less reliable supply, especially in cases where the grid cannot support another conventional connection without further infrastructure upgrades.
During emergency power reduction schedules, Category 4 consumers can be disconnected ahead of higher-priority users, and their service is generally restored later. For crypto miners, the October decree makes that category mandatory for eligible new connections rather than optional.
The updated rules also cover technical connection procedures, including system capacity requirements, protective equipment, and the mechanisms needed for emergency restrictions. If a system operator concludes that the requested connection cannot satisfy the necessary technical conditions, the application may be refused.
Impact on restricted regions and pending applications
The new rules also address territories where Russia has already limited or banned cryptocurrency mining because of power supply concerns. In regions subject to a complete mining prohibition, electricity providers cannot accept new Category 4 applications for covered mining equipment.
Previously submitted applications in those areas, along with work under certain existing connection agreements, must be suspended until the ban is lifted. Once a prohibition ends, network companies are required to restart the relevant procedures within the timeframes set by the decree.
Russia has repeatedly expanded regional mining restrictions since regulated mining was legalized in 2024. Earlier controls affected parts of the North Caucasus and Siberia. In August 2026, authorities extended restrictions to Moscow, the surrounding Moscow Region, and designated parts of Kursk under Resolution No. 936, with an end date of Dec. 31, 2032 unless amended. Regional officials had estimated mining used about one gigawatt within Moscow’s power system.
What remains unclear
The latest decree now sits alongside existing rules that govern where mining is permitted and under what conditions it can operate. For companies planning new sites, the next confirmed step is to submit grid applications under the Category 4 framework and meet the revised technical requirements.
The Energy Ministry has not said how many mining farms will need new Category 4 connections or how much capacity the measure could free up for other users. It has also not announced broader changes beyond the decree itself.
Separately, Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service had proposed restrictions on electricity companies conducting crypto mining or supplying certain facilities and capacity to mining businesses. The Oct. 6 resolution does not establish that those proposals have been adopted.
Source: crypto.news