Despite possessing abundant and diverse renewable energy resources like wind, solar, and geothermal, Russia's energy mix remains heavily dominated by fossil fuels, with hydroelectric power being the primary exception. The Soviet Union was an early pioneer in large-scale hydropower, rapidly expanding capacity from the 1930s and constructing major dams like the Sayano-Shushenskaya in the 1950s-60s. However, following the Soviet collapse, other renewable sources were largely neglected until Dmitry Medvedev's 2008 reforms aimed to reinvigorate their development.

Although Medvedev announced ambitious energy reduction targets in 2009, progress has been significantly hampered by insufficient investment, economic instability, and the prevalence of natural gas subsidies. Consequently, while hydroelectricity accounted for nearly 16% of Russia's total electricity generation in 2015, other renewable sources contributed a minuscule fraction. This highlights a vast untapped potential in Russia's renewable energy sector beyond its established hydropower.