New grid rules for Russian miners
Russia has moved cryptocurrency mining farms into a lower tier of electricity supply. The Ministry of Energy confirmed the change on October 9 after the government adopted Resolution No. 1300 on October 6. Under the rules, miners and mining infrastructure operators seeking a national grid connection must use Category 4 power supply reliability. That category lets authorities cut power when electricity is needed elsewhere. Households and other priority users are meant to stay protected.
The requirement applies across Russia, including regions where mining is still allowed. It affects new connection applications and some older requests that have not been completed. It does not shut every operating farm right away. Existing farms with completed higher-priority connections are not automatically forced into Category 4.
What Category 4 means in practice
Category 4 was created in February 2026 through Resolution No. 103. It gives users a less reliable supply in exchange for grid access when a conventional connection would need costly upgrades. For miners, the October decree makes Category 4 the required reliability category for qualifying new connections.
Category 4 consumers sit high on emergency reduction schedules. Their power is generally restored after higher-priority customers get service back. Mining operators remain responsible for managing their operations when electricity is unavailable. The rules do not promise uninterrupted service or require authorities to keep mining equipment running during shortages. The Energy Ministry said the step protects reliable power for residents.
Regional bans still shape the map
The decree also interacts with Russia’s regional mining restrictions. Where a complete mining ban applies, electricity providers cannot accept new Category 4 connection applications for covered mining equipment. Pending applications and certain existing agreements must be suspended until the ban is lifted. After a full prohibition ends, network companies must resume specified procedures and handle affected agreements within the decree’s deadlines.
Russia has expanded regional restrictions several times since legalizing regulated mining in 2024. In August 2026, Resolution No. 936 added restrictions in Moscow, the Moscow Region and designated areas of Kursk, running from August 15, 2026, to December 31, 2032, unless changed. Separate seasonal restrictions began in January 2025 in parts of Buryatia, Zabaykalsky Krai and Irkutsk.
Open questions for mining operators
Mining companies planning new sites now need to account for Category 4 when they submit grid connection requests. Applications may be rejected if the system operator decides the requested connection cannot meet technical conditions. The Ministry of Energy has not said how many farms will need new connections under Category 4 or how much electricity capacity the changes might free up for other consumers.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service has proposed restrictions that would stop electricity companies from mining crypto or supplying certain facilities and capacity to mining businesses, Bits.media reported on October 10. The October 6 decree does not show that proposal has been adopted.
If miners want grid power, they may have to accept that the lights can go out first.
