MOSCOW, October 31 - RAPSI, Alyona Yegorova. A court has scheduled for December 18 its hearing of four lawsuits worth $277.6 million filed by Mosenergo against the Moscow United Energy Company (MOEK), the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI) reports from the courtroom.

Mosenergo is Russia's largest power generating company. It comprises 15 electric power plants that have an installed electricity capacity of 11.9 MW and a thermal capacity of 34.9 MW. The Gazprom energoholding owns the controlling stake in Mosenergo.

MOEK was founded in 2004 upon the order of the Moscow government, which owns a 89.25 percent stake in the company. MOEK provides heating and water supplies to residential, commercial, public and industrial buildings in Moscow.

The Moscow Commercial Court held preliminary hearings over Mosenergo's lawsuits on Monday.

The lawsuits resulted from MOEK's failure to pay for supplied electric power.

MOEK's representative requested the court on Monday to open separate proceedings in each lawsuit to accelerate the case. However, the court dismissed the petition.