Electric energy development history dates back to 1904. The Chelyabinsk power station of those times operated through diesel plant and had power capacity of 50 kWt. Afterwards in the Chelyabinsk region there was continuous growth of power generating by way of putting new units into operation, to supply electric energy to customers.

In 2005 power stations of the region generated 24188.5 million KWh of electric energy as well as 46922.5 thousand Gcalories of heat energy. More than 36.7 thousand people, that is of 9.5% of general employment number in industry, have jobs in energy production in the Chelyabinsk region.

All electric energy in Chelyabinsk region is generated by heat power plants. 43.8 of the heat power is generated by boiler-houses, 47.3% -- by electric power plants, 8.9% -- by waste-heat utilization plants.     

The total capacity of power stations of Chelyabinsk region is 4888 thousand kWt. The general use power stations determine to a large extent normal life of the region. The capacity of power stations of the region allow to supply more than 70% of the region’s total consumption.

The heat power plants of Chelyabinsk region include industrial enterprises’ ones. Among them are OAO (OJSC) Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, OAO (OJSC) Chelyabinsk Iron and Steel Works, OAO (OJSC) “Integrated Plant “Magnezit” and others. Besides, there are heat power plants in transport, construction and agricultural organizations.

Among the energy supplying companies working in the region there are“ OJSC  Chelyabenergosbyt”, CJSC “MAREM+”, LLC “Mechel-Energo”, LLC “Magnitogorskaya Energeticheskaya Kompania” (“Energy Generating Company of Magnitogorsk”). 

The principle goals of fuel and energy complex are efficient reforming of electric power industry, securing non-stop work in coal-mining industry, technical refurbishing and upgrading of fuel and energy complex (TEK) in the region, gasification promotion in industry, electric power generation, municipal and consumer services; creation of the new power generating capacities; carrying out the policy of energy-saving and increasing the utilization efficiency of the fuel and energy resources by means of technical and technological re-equipment of the industries along with the rapid reduction of their power consumption.