TEHRAN – Iran's push to expand renewable energy capacity is gaining momentum, with Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi unveiling a new 100-megawatt renewable energy project and expressing hope that total installed capacity will exceed 3,000 megawatts by the end of the current Iranian year (March 2026).

According to IRNA, under the Seventh National Development Plan, Iran aims to build 12,000 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity over five years. In line with this, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration has set a more ambitious target of 30,000 megawatts within four years.

Since the beginning of the current administration in mid-2023, roughly 800 megawatts of new renewable capacity has come online, bringing the total installed renewable capacity in Iran to 2,000 megawatts. This unprecedented growth reflects the government’s commitment to addressing the country’s chronic power imbalance. The latest report from the Energy Ministry shows a 30 percent increase in renewable energy production as of late June 2025, compared to the previous year.

According to the Renewable Energy and Distributed Generation Monitoring Center, Iran’s grid-connected renewable power plants generated 836 gigawatt-hours of electricity in the first three months of the Iranian year (March–June 2025). Solar power led the way with 469 gigawatt-hours, marking a 77 percent year-on-year increase.

Wind farms generated 275 gigawatt-hours, followed by small hydro with 76 gigawatt-hours, expansion turbines at 12 gigawatt-hours, and biomass at 4.0 gigawatt-hours.

Regional electricity companies also reported major year-on-year output increases during this period, with Isfahan up 260 percent, Hormozgan 120 percent, Bakhtar 92 percent, Kerman 70 percent, and Yazd 59 percent.

Minister Aliabadi noted that Iran’s electricity generation has historically been dominated by thermal power, which still accounts for a significant portion of the country’s 95,000 megawatts of capacity.

“When the current administration took office, Iran had only 1,200 megawatts of renewable capacity,” Aliabadi said. “That figure has now surpassed 2,000 megawatts, and we expect it to reach 3,800 megawatts by year-end.”

He emphasized the government's efforts to make renewable energy investment more attractive for the private sector and businesses — a push that has already drawn significant investor interest.

The minister also revealed that Iran has issued permits for the construction of around 30,000 megawatts of renewable capacity, with applications under review for an additional 78,000 megawatts. The government currently has renewable, thermal, and distributed generation projects underway at 1,000 locations across the country.

EF/MA