Central Asia is emerging from the shadow of Russia and Moscow’s grip on its economy and energy supply. In recent years, several regional and European projects, as well as China’s inroads into the Central Asian economies, have the potential to make Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan less dependent on Russia in their energy systems. Power connections and transmission projects, a program to establish Central Asia’s first-ever regional electricity market, and hydropower projects in these countries are…