Zaidi orders fuel support for private generators as summer power crisis deepens

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has ordered authorities to ease fuel supply procedures for private generator owners to help maintain operating hours through the summer, as electricity shortages and protests over power cuts spread across the country.

Al-Zaidi met Thursday with a delegation from the Private Generator Owners Syndicate and the electricity minister, who presented details on generator operations, pricing mechanisms and fuel allocations. He directed relevant authorities to facilitate fuel provision to ensure stable operating hours during peak demand periods.

Private generators have become an essential backup power source for households, businesses and public institutions across Iraq, with the government providing subsidized fuel and regulating monthly pricing. Operators have repeatedly called for larger allocations during periods of reduced grid supply.

Electricity demand consistently exceeds supply during summer in central and southern governorates, where temperatures often climb above 50°C. Shortages have been compounded by fluctuations in imported natural gas supplies, which fuel many of Iraq’s power plants.

Protests over power cuts have broken out in recent weeks in several parts of the country. In Basra, residents of Al-Madina district gathered at a power transmission station demanding improved supply despite the area’s proximity to major oil fields. In Najaf, residents of Al-Haidariya district blocked the Najaf-Karbala highway over prolonged outages and deteriorating public services.