MOSCOW, April 04. /ITAR-TASS/. Crimea and Sevastopol may apply for subsidies in 2015 to implement regional energy saving and energy efficiency improving programs, the Russian Energy Ministry said.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a resolution distributing subsidies provided from the federal budget in 2014 for regions to co-finance such programmes.

Subsidies totaling more than 4.9 bln roubles ($139 mln) are distributed among 25 regions. Co-financing from the federal budget for a region varies from 50 mln ($1.4 mln) to 500 mln roubles ($14 mln). Fifty nine regions have applied for subsidies this year.

The Energy Ministry's department for energy efficiency is working on new rules to simplify the procedure to apply. The subsidy size will be determined according to the volume of budget allocations of regions for the programme. Deputy Minister Anton Inyutsyn noted priorities would be given to projects that envisaged non-budget sources of financing. After the government's approval, the new rules will come into force in 2015.

The Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol may also apply. The Energy Ministry planned to assist to form their regional programmes, the ministry said in a statement.

As was earlier reported, the ministry on a contest basis annually distributed funds to co-finance regional energy efficiency programmes from the federal budget.

In 2013, 28 regions received subsidies that totaled 5.7 bln roubles ($162 mln).