Lights in Baghdad Region

February 1, 2003	April 11, 2003	October 1, 2003

• The Ministry of Electricity intends to provide reliable, stable and predictable power to the people and enterprises of Iraq.  Since the conflict, peak electricity generation has risen threefold, reaching over 4,400 MW in early October, when it exceeded the pre-conflict peak.  To satisfy Iraq’s total demand for electricity, Iraq will need an estimated 7,000 MW, some 2,600 MW more than the pre-conflict level.  Post-war looting and sabotage have brought down nearly 1,000 towers.  Many substations were destroyed.  Decades of operation without regular maintenance and fuel shortages, however, have also severely hampered dependable production. 
• The Ministry plans to reach peak output of 6000 MW during the summer of 2004, rising to 9000 MW during the spring of 2005.  As part of this process, the Ministry plans to reconstruct and rehabilitate generation, transmission and distribution networks, control and communications, establish and implement a sound regulatory framework for the sector and to ensure improved infrastructural security and resilience.  The MOE is preparing for fall maintenance, when power production will be reduced in the short term.  Power plants were shutting down units according to a schedule designed to end before winter’s cooler months, when electricity demand for residential heating increases.

Daily Power Production and Distribution

Electrical System Status Reports