Center for Natural Resources and Sustainability

“G MAX Energy Consulting” LLC has headquarters in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and representation in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan as well as a partner in Kyrgyz Republic. The company has carried out consulting projects on electricity and natural gas sectors, renewable energy and energy efficiency covering Solar, Wind and small Hydropower generation. For decade the Company was leading advisory partner for Regional Coordination Dispatch Centre (CDC) “Energiya”.

Words of advice

“The formula for success is that you have to give 150% or at least 120%, and the same time not to break down!”

Professional background

From childhood, I loved mathematics, geography and fundamental sciences. At the age of 10 I was talking about geopolitics and political economy. Teachers always state that I was too mature for a normal child, but it didn’t scare me, I knew that I needed to survive and help my loved ones to survive as well. There were difficult times, our family faced hunger and cold, there was no hot water and heat in the house. The few things that warmed me were books with warm stories.

At the age of 15, I went to work to start earning, at the same time I study in a high school and part-time at the Higher Komsomol School to become a manager. From textbooks and life experience, I realized that energy will always be needed for the development of society, just like bread and food.

After graduating from school, I enrolled the Moscow Institute of Management named after S. Ordzhonikidze on management of fuel and energy complexes, but fate brought me back to Tashkent. Starting from the age of 17, I worked as a power engineer at the Tashkent Tractor Plant in the Department of Power Engineering, where I received a professional baptism as a specialist. I was entrusted to be responsible for the heat supply of all 5 microdistricts.

I developed the General Development Plan and received recognition from the management of the enterprise and the district as a whole. At daytime I worked in factory, and at the evenings studied in a faculty specialising in the power supply of cities and industrial enterprises. I have graduated from the university ahead of schedule and with honors. She tried to work and earn, but no one recognized the girl as an engineer. I graduated from the courses of the chief accountant with honors, learned how to do a balance sheet and the general ledger.

I moved to Moscow to work, got the position of financial director at the international trading company Master Food/Mars INC, sat in the library on weekends and wrote a scientific paper, a dissertation, dreamed of managing the entire Central Asian energy system. And at the age of 23, I calculated the most rational tarif! Almost the whole world uses this tariff formula today! At the age of 28, my scientific work was recognized in the USA, and I became the youngest doctor of science. Recognition as an energy specialist I gained only after I worked as an energy specialist for the World Bank from 2003 to 2008 and was able to help Uzbekistan implement the Carbon Funds program to trade Certified Emissions and reduce GHG.

Challenges

The biggest problem for me was the non-recognition of society, that a girl can be a good engineer, specialist and an excellent leader. A woman knows how to manage money and can be more efficient than men. Women know how to think and make decisions. Society demanded to be beautiful and to be a good wife. I didn’t succeed in being beauty and a cook-wife, I raised two children alone and looked after two parents. I worked 20 hours a day to be financially independent and tried to change the surrounding society for the better. In a free time, I was engaged in science and the publication of articles in foreign journals. Society stubbornly did not want to recognize free-thinking women.

A lot of time and effort was taken by raising children and caring after the health of parents, there were other economic problems that had to be solved daily. There was no enough money, strength, hands - resources.

Fortunately, in my life I met many good people, associates, friends, companies, organizations and even embassies who helped me with good advice, money, or simply recognition and support for my activities. Uunfortunately, there were also those who wanted to break me, who cheated me of my last money or those who closed my site and sold the domain, and mostly they were men who did not realize that by doing this they were making me stronger and stronger. I created the first public website www.energy.uz, for 15 years I have published global news of energy sector in three languages. In 2015, government agencies closed my website and sold my domain due to a "technical error" to third parties. I fought and fought for two years to return my domain back to Uzbekistan, returned it, but the site could not be restored. As a result of the endless struggle against the unjust actions of individuals, I have lost my health and for many years, I have been fighting to restore my health. I really hope to restore my website Energy Market of Uzbekistan!

Moment of inspiration

In fact, there were three moments in my life that still inspire me.

The first. Recognition of my scientific potential by the international community the US Government Science Programs, the International Association of Energy Economists (US/IAEE), the American Economists Association (AEA), Commodities Now (UK) & Jacobs Consulting. In 2001 I was named one of the 20th Century Key Women in Energy & named as a One of “50 Key Women in Energy” Worldwide Award!

The second moment, when the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan represented by the First Deputy Prime Minister agreed in 2006 to reduce CO2 emissions under the Kyoto Protocol and implement a program to modernize energy-intensive industries, while earning billions of dollars for the Republic and confirming the reputation of a reliable partner with IFIs, such like WB/ IFC/ GGFR. I was part of the team of initiators and coordinated all negotiations and seminars for the government. It inspired and uplift me for many years.

After the founding the company and as a result of hard work, we began to invite talented girls to paid internship. In 2012-2013, the teams of young girls working with me were those studying at lyceums and tried to earn extra money. Subsequently, they all became a highly qualified specialists in the energy sector, some in the Department of Energy, some run a private business (for the production of boilers), some of them work in an energy company in the United States. I taught a lot, since 1995, almost always shared my experience and knowledge, both at the BBA program at the Malaysian TSTU and at the TACIS / MBA program at TSUE, and at the courses at the Uzbek-Japan Center and at Moscow State University, and at TSUIT and Higher School of Business under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. My students have always made me happy, but the girls who worked with me in 2012 were especially inspiring to me. I believe that some of them will become the Minister of Energy, lead the parliament and change our world in a more energy efficient direction. They are smart and talented, they know how to work!

Acknowledged success

The biggest recognition in life is when all your ideas and hypotheses, scientific publications will be implemented in life, in your Republic and Central Asia! Society comes to this, even after 25-30 years. I would like to assist the countries in Central Asia to unite and live in a single energy system in order to save resources and water. And maybe become a Senator who has experience in energy sector to help Uzbekistan, participate in the adoption of the right laws on energy and energy efficiency, which were taken into account for the needs of women and children and the interests of business. I hope that I have enough life and time for this!