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Iraq won't meet electricity demand before 2013
BAGHDAD Iraq will need at least another three years before it is able to satisfy current electricity demand, the US general charged with the militarys reconstruction efforts in the Middle East said on Tuesday.But Brigadier General Kendall Cox acknowledged that his projection was based on present levels of demand, which continue to rise as Iraqis purchase more consumer goods for their homes such as refrigerators and air conditioners. His comments come about two months after a series of violent protests kicked off in several cities over a massive shortfall in mains-supplied electricity, seven years after the US-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein. Probably 2013, 2014 would be the earliest that I think they would be able to have a shot at generating enough power, with the requisite distribution and transmission capability, to have some sort of sustained, close to, 24 hours (per day) of power, Cox told reporters at a briefing in Baghdad. Thats... based on current demands, he said, adding that even as they continue to increase the megawatts that they bring online, simultaneously they are increasing their demand. He estimated that current demand for electricity in Iraq was between 12,000 and 14,000 megawatts, with supply at just over 6,000 megawatts. Posted by: Steve White 2010-09-08 |
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