[en] The Wien Automatic System Planning Package (WASP) is used for the development of an optimal capacity expansion plan in Russia. The object of the WASP study is the Central power pool, which is the largest power pool in Russia and has an essential share of nuclear power in electricity generation. The objective of the study is to assess the long-term competitiveness of nuclear power in electricity generation. The objective of the study is to assess the long-term competitiveness of nuclear power in the region. There are the following major features of the model of the power system developed with WASP: (1) four types of electricity generators are considered--condensing fossil fuel plants, cogeneration fossil fuel plants, nuclear power plants and hydraulic plants; (2) nine fuel categories are considered: the gas/fuel oil fuel, several types of coal and several nuclear fuels; (3) escalation of capital, operation and maintenance, and fuel costs as a result of economic transition is explicitly modeled. Under these assumptions, a regional optimal capacity expansion plan is developed that showed the following: (1) until 2004 there is no need for new electricity generation capacities due to the drop in demand in the 90s, certain lifetime margin of existing capacities, predetermined inputs of cogenerators and planned refurbishment/repowering measures; (2) the structure of the optimal capacity mix confirms that nuclear power can retain its role as one of the major electricity generation sources in the region; (3) the application of WASP has proved that the model can serve as a valuable planning tool at the power pool level in Russia