More than 2 million residents now receive 24-hour power under KRG’s Runaki project

ERBIL — More than 2 million people in the Kurdistan Region now receive uninterrupted electricity through the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Runaki project, the Ministry of Electricity said Wednesday.

The ministry reported that 2,544,000 residents are currently covered by the initiative, which launched in October 2024 to expand round-the-clock access to national grid power. The program now serves parts of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok, with plans to expand coverage further.

More than 2,100 private diesel generators have been decommissioned so far, and the KRG aims to phase out over 7,000 generators by the end of 2026.

By the end of 2025, the ministry expects the city centers of Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, and Halabja to receive full-day electricity from the national grid.

The Kurdistan Region has long faced chronic electricity shortages, with state-supplied power often limited to eight to 10 hours daily during peak summer and winter months. Most neighborhoods rely on privately operated generators, with residents paying variable fees for fixed amperage — a system widely criticized as costly and unreliable.