According to data published by Georgian State Electrosystem, the country purchased a total of 576 million kWh of electricity in January, paying nearly $22.5 million. Compared to January 2024, this represents a 157% increase in spending on electricity imports, as only $8.7 million was required for imports in the same month last year.
The rise in import costs is largely attributed to Turkey. In January 2026, Georgia imported an unusually large volume of 119 million kWh of electricity from Turkey, its main export market for electricity, paying over $10 million. This corresponds to an average price of approximately 8.6 cents per kWh.
Imports from Russia in January totaled 389 million kWh. Part of the electricity imported from Russia is supplied to occupied Abkhazia, which receives power at a special rate, lowering the average cost of Russian imports. Imports from Azerbaijan were nearly non-existent in January, while Armenia supplied a small volume of 64 million kWh. The reason for the unusually high electricity imports from Turkey remains unclear.
Typically, Georgia buys very little electricity from Turkey, which instead serves as the primary export market for locally produced electricity. Data from 2025 shows that last year, imports from Turkey occurred only in December, amounting to 40.5 million kWh.
