KIEV, Jan. 17 - The wholesale market price of electricity, which the Energy Market State Company, the operator of the Ukrainian wholesale electricity market, sells to electricity supply companies, could grow by 21.4% in 2008, from 27.01 kopecks per kWh in December to 32.8 kopecks per kWh in January.

The increase is stipulated in a forecasted annual balance of fuel, electricity and expenses of electricity generating companies for 2008, which was approved by First Vice Premier Oleksandr Turchynov, Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan and Coal Minister Viktor Poltavets.