Iraq energy expert says $100 billion in spending has not resolved electricity crisis

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Energy expert Ahmed Asker said Iraq's power sector has been the state's largest spending item since 2003, with cumulative expenditure exceeding $100 billion without achieving self-sufficiency. He said the problem is not limited to generation but extends to aging transmission lines, bottlenecks in the distribution system, technical losses, illegal usage and weak collection rates. Asker said electricity is sold at subsidized low prices, collection remains low in many regions, and the imbalance is draining public resources. He noted that the persistence of the crisis has expanded the private generator sector, and that the parallel economic interests of fuel suppliers and generator owners have made a durable solution harder to implement. He added that governments address the problem each summer with temporary measures rather than structural reforms. Asker said resolving the crisis requires a comprehensive national plan that includes modernizing transmission and distribution networks, improving collection systems, expanding renewable energy projects and combating corruption. No further details were immediately available on any official response to his remarks.