Energy crisis in Iraq amid 50 degree heat
When the thermometer rises above 50 degrees and air conditioners run at full capacity, electricity in the socket becomes not a luxury but a matter of survival. Iraq, a country rich in oil and gas but plagued for years by chronic power shortages, once again faces a paradox: with some of the world's largest hydrocarbon reserves, it cannot provide its citizens with stable electricity in their homes.
Private generators, humming on every corner, have become not just a backup but a parallel, second power system for which residents pay out of their own pockets on top of regular bills. Every summer becomes a test of infrastructure, and each new season reminds that resources are not a guarantee of well being if the delivery and distribution system does not work.
In Iraq, the hottest season begins, with temperatures in some areas exceeding 50 degrees Celsius, and the surging demand for air conditioners and cooling equipment has exposed the country's long standing energy crisis, forcing households and businesses to rely on expensive private generators to cope with constant power outages.
At noon, the scorching sun beats down on Baghdad, Iraq's capital, steadily raising the temperature outside. For locals, the stifling heat brings not only discomfort but also the constant threat of power cuts. Inside shops across the city, air conditioners and other cooling devices must run around the clock to maintain even basic comfort. Shop owners say that whenever the municipal grid goes down, their backup generators must kick in immediately, otherwise the premises quickly become unbearably hot. "Municipal power supply is very limited every day.
Sometimes we have two hours of electricity, and then it goes out for four or six hours. Sometimes we have only one hour of supply," said a local shop owner. Diesel generators are a common sight in Iraq, and they serve not only as emergency backup for periodic outages. During the peak summer months, they effectively function as a supplementary power system, running parallel to the national grid. For ordinary households, this comes at a cost: on top of regular utility bills, they have to cover additional electricity and fuel expenses.
For many Iraqi households and businesses, the combination of electricity from the national grid and private generators has become a normal part of summer life. When municipal power falls short, large shopping malls, hotels and companies typically rely on their own backup generators, while residential areas depend on private generators run by local communities that purchase a certain amount of electricity monthly. This has given rise to a sprawling informal electricity market. "Most residents prefer to buy electricity from private generators with a limit of about 20 amperes.
Frankly, 20 amperes is completely insufficient to meet a family's daily electricity needs. But people have no other choice. They all want to reduce their dependence on private generators if possible. Currently, electricity from private generators costs about 24,000 25,000 Iraqi dinars (approximately US$18.31 19.08) per ampere for 24 hour supply," said Mohammed, a Baghdad electricity supplier.
Iraq possesses abundant oil and natural gas reserves. Yet the country has struggled for years to generate enough electricity to meet domestic demand, with the supply demand gap most acutely felt during peak summer periods. Local energy experts note that the paradox of chronic power shortages in a major oil exporter cannot be explained solely by a lack of energy resources. The crisis is driven by a combination of factors: electricity consumption spikes every summer, and Iraq's outdated transmission and distribution infrastructure leads to significant energy losses in the grid.
Each year, the peak of summer heat tests Iraq's national power system and reflects the simple hope of its people: uninterrupted, reliable electricity for household appliances. In recent years, Iraq has continued to increase investment in energy infrastructure and the power sector. However, significant gaps remain – from expanding generation capacity and modernising transmission and distribution networks to securing fuel supplies. Transforming the country's vast oil and gas reserves into stable, reliable electricity is crucial not only to help the population endure the brutal summer heat but also as a test of Iraq's post war capacity for infrastructure reconstruction and public service delivery.
As CCTV+ reports, Iraq's energy crisis has become a symbol of a deeper problem – the gap between natural wealth and the state's ability to turn it into quality of life, and every summer this gap becomes increasingly evident to millions of Iraqis who pay for electricity twice – first to the state, and then to private generators.
