Iran’s energy minister assures no blackouts amid supply boost

During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, Aliabadi highlighted the significant differences between electricity production and consumption in Iran compared to global standards.

“Since 1979, while global electricity consumption has increased 3.4 times, in Iran, it has surged by 23 times,” he noted and explained, “This year’s peak electricity demand saw a substantial increase of 8.7%, adding 6,500 megawatts, highlighting the mismatch between demand and the growth in power plant capacity.”

Aliabadi reported to the parliament that in his 90-day tenure, his ministry has taken crucial steps to address this imbalance, completing key projects including comprehensive maintenance of over 40,000 megawatts of power plants and bringing incomplete power plants online.

Additionally, 15 new renewable energy plants have been operational since September, with plans to add another 3,000 megawatts before next year’s peak demand.

Aliabadi also said 1.5 million smart meters have been installed to manage consumption better and identify and curb unauthorized electricity use, particularly by cryptocurrency miners.

He also praised the cooperation with the oil ministry, which has increased gas supplies to power plants, helping alleviate fuel shortages that threatened electricity production.