Electricity consumption in Mestia Municipality has continued to rise sharply, reaching a record 132.9 million kilowatt-hours in 2025, according to data provided by Energo-Pro Georgia. Consumption increased by 6% year-on-year and is nearly 45% higher than in 2021.
The figures highlight a long-running issue in the region, where excessive electricity use has been widely linked to unregulated cryptocurrency mining. Annual consumption has climbed from 91.1 million kWh in 2020 to 132.9 million kWh in 2025, despite Mestia’s relatively small population.
According to previous assessments by the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC), illegal connections and heavy demand from crypto mining operations have placed significant strain on the local electricity distribution network, pushing parts of the system into a critical condition.
The government has recently announced new measures to combat illegal crypto mining in Mestia, including the introduction of electricity metering. Vice Prime Minister Mamuka Mdinaradze said the problem has become a nationwide financial burden, estimating that every electricity consumer in Georgia effectively pays an additional GEL 1.5 per bill to help cover the costs associated with excessive power consumption in Svaneti.
