Iraqis face worsening electricity crisis despite cooler autumn weather

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – As Iraq enters the cooler autumn season, many citizens hoped for an improvement in electricity supply, a common expectation as temperatures drop.

However, this year has brought the opposite: the electricity situation in Baghdad has deteriorated, with some areas experiencing outages of up to five hours in a row.

Private generator owners, who typically provide supplemental power during outages, are also struggling to meet demand.

They currently supply around 16 hours of electricity per day, but many warn that they may be forced to shut down their operations if the government does not address the fuel shortages they are facing.

“We are receiving less gas from the government, and the price of gas on the black market is becoming too expensive for us to afford,” one generator owner explained.

Typically, with the onset of autumn and the end of the intense summer heat, electricity consumption decreases, leading to better power availability. Yet, this year, the opposite has occurred.

In some areas of Baghdad, residents report receiving only one hour of electricity between five-hour blackouts.

“Normally, by September and October, the weather cools down, and the electricity situation improves,” one Baghdad resident told Kurdistan24. “But this year, it has gotten worse. We are going without electricity for six hours at a time, and we don’t know why.”

Another frustrated citizen remarked, “Every year, as the temperature drops, the pressure on the power grid decreases, and we expect better electricity. But this year is different. We don’t understand why it’s worse or where to turn for help.”

Private generator operators are feeling the strain just as much as residents. Many are warning that, without adequate gas supplies, they will have to cease operations.

“I run my generator for about 16 hours during the winter, and it’s becoming too much. We’re receiving less gas, and what we do get only lasts about 15 days,” said one generator owner, noting that Iraq continues to export gas to Lebanon as part of a charitable agreement.

The electricity crisis is one of Iraq’s most persistent and unresolved issues, despite the country’s vast natural resources. Citizens are increasingly questioning why Iraq continues to rely on foreign countries for power generation when energy independence is so closely tied to national sovereignty.

In response, Iraqi officials have stated that the country currently receives 7,000 megawatts of electricity from Iranian gas, highlighting ongoing reliance on external sources to meet domestic energy needs.

As Iraq’s electricity infrastructure continues to face challenges, citizens are left wondering when a long-term solution will be found to address this ongoing crisis.

Further reporting was done by Kurdistan24 correspondent Seif Ali.