Prospects of electric heating applying in Russian cities to ensure their sustainable development

One of the stable trends in development of the world electric power industry is the transition from monotony to diversity in its evolution. It is characterized by a wide range of the strategic tasks solved by a set of the used energy resources and a changing spectrum of the possible energy technologies. However in the thermal energy supply of consumers in Russia for almost 100 years there is practically the only system of water heat supply that does not meet modern ecological, anthropogenic, technological and social requirements which motivated authors to conduct research on the alternative system of electrical heating. Materials for the study of the two heat supply systems were the actual parameters of alternative systems and their implication in technological and economic spheres as well as the impact on environmental indicators. Research methods include system approach, analysis of statistical data and authors’ estimates. Result of comparing of the two alternative heat supply system is the classification of their positive and negative factors at the qualitative and quantitative levels of assessment. The conducted research has shown the significant advantages of the new electric heat supply system which is more in line with the requirements of sustainable development of Russian cities, preserves health and improves quality of life of their inhabitants