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Iraq

Iraqi Power Grid Nearing Collapse

2007-08-05

Iraq's power grid is on the brink of collapse because of insurgent sabotage, rising demand, fuel shortages and provinces that are unplugging local power stations from the national grid, officials said Saturday.

Electricity Ministry spokesman Aziz al-Shimari said power generation nationally is only meeting half the demand, and there had been four nationwide blackouts over the past two days. The shortages across the country are the worst since the summer of 2003, shortly after the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, he said. Power supplies in Baghdad have been sporadic all summer and now are down to just a few hours a day, if that. The water supply in the capital has also been severely curtailed by power blackouts and cuts that have affected pumping and filtration stations.

Karbala province south of Baghdad has been without power for three days, causing water mains to go dry in the provincial capital, the Shiite holy city of Karbala.

Posted by:Steve White

#13 Back when I was there (left October '06), the tussle between the regions and Baghdad was an ongoing saga (as noted by some above).

Thing is, we've gotta keep in mind the reality of the situation. Demand IS going up, and went up dramatically post-liberation. But there are significant, fundamental, and intractable (in the short term) problems with Iraqi maintenance and operations of restored/upgraded facilities. Yeah, I know - "newsflash!". But that's the key reality. Whatever the imperfections of the assistance efforts, on balance you can bet they were performed pretty well under the cicrumstances. But all too often (at least back then, as the electricity guys would recount in heart-breaking detail), the Iraqis drop the ball.

I know some here react to such things by saying "screw 'em, we gave 'em a chance". My take is different. I am just as angry, and just as frustrated, but I view this entire enterprise in terms of our interests. In my estimation our vital interests are directly engaged in getting the best possible short-and-medium-term outcome in Iraq. Thus my agony over what has been, and in some respects may remain, an insufficiently serious military strategy, lack of a balls-out war with the Iranians, refusal to crush Sunni chauvinism as an ugly first condition of further development, etc.

Doesn't matter - this is a vital contest of wills, and I say do whatever it takes to prevail. Iraq's true interests coincide with ours, and while few there have the worldliness or confidence to recognize that, we should pursue success without worrying about being loved, appreciated, or even understood.

Posted by: Verlaine 2007-08-05 23:51

#12 Please note that this story is from Associated [with Terrorist] Press.

Salt to taste....

Posted by: CrazyFool 2007-08-05 19:15

#11 The big story in this article (carefully hidden by ABC news) is the skyrocketing demand for electricity. The last time I checked the State Dept's weekly report, it showed Iraq's power generation had grown by 10% since last year but demand had grown by 40%.

The other big story is the provinces refusing to provide power to Baghdad. During Saddam's reign the provinces went without power (and water) to keep the capital happy. Those days are gone.

Al

Posted by: Frozen Al 2007-08-05 14:37

#10 Sorry to differ with you Redneck Jim, but you have got it backwards. The incremental cost for a major utility to generate one additional kilowatt-hour of electricity is much less than what they are forced to pay for the same from someone who generates their own electricity and sells it to the utility company. There are some provisos with this dealing with peak and load demand. But by-and-large, someone who generates their own electricity is only paying for the generating capacity capital and using the utility company's distribution capital for free.

Posted by: Eboreg 2007-08-05 12:37

#9 In general, consumers sell electricity back to utilities at wholesale rates. As much as power utilities pi$$ us off with dumb things that they do, the bottom line is that the utility has to have power available to you 24/7. You, on the other hand, may or may not be available to provide power. So, the arrangement is basically fair.

Big grids are good in many ways, but they are also vilnerable to some serious shutdowns, and problematic startups. I would like to see electricity created from diverse sources. Cogen is good. It makes the system more resistant to major hits. Both natural and man-made.

Posted by: Alaska Paul 2007-08-05 12:27

#8 It's my understanding that electrical power is FREE in Iraq... so of course their grid is near collapse. Any free resource will be over-utilized and used inefficiently.

It's not our problem the don't meter their electricity. I'll care (maybe) when they start to charge.

Posted by: Leigh 2007-08-05 11:56

#7 I know how it works, essentialy you're giving your power to the utility, then paying to get it back, it's a wholesale and retail thing at greatly different rates.

You sell to the grid at wholesale, buy back at retail.

Lousy idea for home electricity generators, great for the utility.

Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-08-05 11:05

#6 cross patch - don't we do something similar to that here in the US. People who generate their own energy with solar and other means have the ability to sell their energy back to the power co's. I don't know how it works -but I know it is done.

Posted by: AT 2007-08-05 10:31

#5 Ok it sucks for the US plans for Iraq but really, is electricity halal? Did mohammad use it? Isn't electricity yet another evil western influence? Aren't the turbans designed to keep those muzzies cool headed? Heh heh cool headed muzzies. I crack myself up.

Posted by: jds 2007-08-05 09:49

#4 We could quietly boost Baghdad's capacity by importing several portable SSTAR reactors to the Baghdad airport. They are about 15 meters high and 3 meters wide and weigh about 500 tons, produce a respectable amount of energy, their fuel cannot be weaponized, and they don't produce must waste.

They are designed to be transported to emergency use sites, and produce from 10 to 100MW.

http://www.llnl.gov/str/JulAug04/Smith.html

I gather both the Japanese and South Africans have developed portables that are even smaller.

Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-08-05 09:27

#3 Electricity, indoor plumbing.... who needs it?

Posted by: Besoeker 2007-08-05 04:48

#2 Iraqi Power Grid Nearing Collapse

how 'bout sum Islamic hats with propellers on the tops to cool them off?

Posted by: Red Dawg 2007-08-05 04:30

#1 I think they might be looking in the wrong place for the cause of disruption of the power system. The way I understand it, local neighborhood entrepreneurs with generating capacity are providing their neighbors with power at a profit. It serves them to see that the national grid has problems. The more time that the grid is down, the more money they make selling backup power to their neighbors.

So ... I would pick the largest two power suppliers in each neighborhood and make them a part of the system. Give them a "commission" on each kilowatt hour of national power. Basically make it more worth their while to PROTECT the national grid than to disrupt it. Then you bring these guys on board as some kind of power distribution committee and allow them to have input in the power generation and distribution process.

This gives them a stake in the national grid overall and in their neighborhood in particular. Give them a commission on power sold in their neighborhood and a bonus for overall national power delivery. This means that if a neighboring district loses power, they lose money too. It gives them all a financial incentive for the central system to work. As it stands now, they have a vested interest in seeing the central system fail.

Posted by: crosspatch 2007-08-05 03:26

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