Promises of Reliable Electricity Offer Little Reassurance in Iraq

The Iraqi government has pledged to provide the country with 24-hour electricity, heralding the end of years of energy blackouts, but doubts remain over the government’s ability to deliver on their promises, writes Omar al-Shaher.
An electrician works on an electric switchboard of a local generator in Baghdad, December 13, 2011. Iraq's financial system is slowly embracing the free market after years of tight control under Saddam; a fledging stock market is attracting foreign money while the banking and telecommunications industries are growing rapidly. But the national grid provides only a few hours of intermittent power a day, forcing Iraqis to live off noisy diesel-fueled generators. Picture taken December 13, 2011. To match Featur
An electrician works on an electric switchboard of a local generator in Baghdad, Dec. 13, 2011. - REUTERS/Saad Shalash
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Omar al-Shaher
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As the hot weather sets in, promises to provide round-the-clock electricity are making headlines in Iraqi news programs and newspapers. This comes after the hardships Iraqis have undergone in recent years as a result of inadequacies in the electricity grid.

During the summer, when temperatures can reach 50 degrees celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), the electricity supply is on for less than two hours per day.

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