Bulgaria’s electricity sales abroad peaked at an all-time high of 7.6 bln kWh in 2005, up 30% year-on-year, placing Bulgaria as Europe's fourth biggest exporter after France, the Czech Republic and Poland. In terms of power output, the year 2005 broke a 14-year record, with electricity production reaching 44 billion kWh, national power grid operator NETC said. Domestic electricity consumption rose 2.7% to 26.78 bln kWh in 2005. Sales to the public sector increased by 5.8% year-on-year, however industrial customers used less electricity in 2005, benefiting from investment in energy-saving technologies. If domestic consumption increases by 5-7% in 2007, Bulgaria may have to import electricity due to the upcoming retirement of units 3 and 4 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant and the delays in ongoing projects on the sites of the Maritsa Iztok 1 and 3 thermal power plants, said NETC. In 2007, domestic power output will more or less match consumption, leaving little capacity for export, aid NETC.