Iraq's power crisis: energy output plummets, fourth major collapse in 5 years

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, a government source reported a significant and abrupt decline in Iraq’s electricity supply.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, “The national electrical system nearly collapsed recently, reducing energy production from 29,000 megawatts to 14,000 megawatts,” marking the fourth major collapse of the national electricity system in five years, prompting the government to form investigative committees.

“This caused a power outage and a significant reduction in processing hours across Iraq,” he further noted.

Despite being the second-largest oil producer in OPEC, Iraq relies on imports and Iranian power to meet its energy needs, receiving around 1,200 megawatts of power and substantial amounts of natural gas. Amid extreme summer heat and persistent power outages that lead people to rely on private generators, the country is exploring energy partnerships with other regional actors and the Gulf states, aiming to decrease its dependency on Iran and improve its overall energy infrastructure.