Forming and developing electric power infrastructure in regional economic space

We have considered the formation and development of the electric power infrastructure together with development of economic space, its properties and configuration. The object of study is the electric power infrastructure of the Russian Federation. The goal of the article is to study the formation and development of the electric power infrastructure in the regional economic space. The study had the following objectives: 1. Determine the most significant stages in the development of the electric power infrastructure of the Russian Federation together with changes in the economic space. 2. Analyze the current state of development of the electric power infrastructure in the Russian Federation. 3. Identify promising directions for development of the electric power infrastructure in the Russian Federation. The research hypothesis is that developing electric power infrastructure governs the changes in territorial organization, influencing the development of economic space and its properties. We have systematized the stages of formation and development of electric power infrastructure in the Russian Federation on the basis of organizational, economic and process variable parameters. We have identified the most significant achievements of technological development of the power generating industry, which influence the economic space properties and manifest in the formation of the territorial infrastructural power frame. We have analyzed the spatial development of the electric power infrastructure complex in the context of the Unified Energy System of Russia based on indicators of dynamics and structure of installed capacity of the power plants of combined energy systems and the Unified Energy System of Russia, and the territorial structure of electricity consumption. The research points to uneven spatial distribution of the installed generating capacity of power stations united by common power grids. We have pointed out the possibilities of balancing the dynamics and structure of the installed capacity. We have found that the evolution of territorial development of the electric power infrastructure is directed towards separation of manufacturing facilities, specialization and component interconnection on the basis of distributed power generation. We have identified the specific features of the modern stage of electric power infrastructure developing in Russia; it is defined by a new technology paradigm forming, digital economy development. In addition, the paper reveals the most significant modern problems in the development of the electric power infrastructure, increasing its balance by providing accessible electric power for consumers, power supply efficiency, transition to active and adaptive smart electric power, increasing the power supplied to the population to global standards, digital transformation of the electrical grid infrastructure. We believe that promising directions for development of the electric power infrastructure are expanding cooperation between the main stakeholders in implementing infrastructure development projects.