KRG Expands 24-Hour Power Access to Over 85% of Population Under Runaki Initiative

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Electricity announced on Thursday that nearly 5.5 million citizens—more than 85% of the population—now have access to uninterrupted, 24-hour electricity under the Runaki initiative.

The latest expansion brings continuous power supply to the administrations of Soran, Zakho, Raparin, Koya, Pirmam, Akre, and Simele, marking a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to modernize the region’s energy infrastructure.

To ease the transition to the new progressive tariff system, authorities confirmed that residents in newly connected areas will receive temporary discounts of 50%, 25%, and 15% over the first three months of service.

According to official figures, the program now covers approximately 5,491,900 citizens and 1,470,000 subscribers across the Kurdistan Region. The largest share is in Erbil province, followed by Sulaimani and Duhok, with smaller but substantial coverage in Halabja and the newly connected areas.

In parallel with the expansion of national grid electricity, the government has significantly reduced its reliance on private diesel generators. More than 5,900 neighborhood generators—around 85%—have already been phased out, contributing to an estimated annual reduction of over 1.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

The KRG aims to eliminate more than 7,000 generators by the end of 2026 as part of its environmental and energy reform agenda.

The Runaki initiative was first announced in October 2024 by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, with the goal of delivering round-the-clock electricity to all homes and businesses across the Kurdistan Region by the end of 2026. The program was later unanimously approved by the Council of Ministers in May.