Iraq’s lingering power crisis costing $40 billion a year
It will take longer than the government hopes to fix the country’s electricity problem
If the Iraqi government’s provision of basic energy to its people were to be a factor in April’s parliamentary election, you wouldn’t blame voters for just sitting at home in the dark. Generation capacity is rising and things are better than they were. But even in Baghdad and Tikrit, the two towns given preferential access to electricity under Saddam Hussein, supply is poor and brownouts common. Most of Iraq still doesn’t have adequate connection to the dilapidated grid. Outside Kurdistan, only Iraqis rich enough to afford a private diesel-fired generator can guarantee a full day’s supply. On top of the violence and terrorism still hurting parts of the country, the lack of electricity provis
Also in this section
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
