TEHRAN – Iranian Energy Ministry has connected 144 villages to the national power grid over the past year as part of the government’s push to expand electricity access in rural and deprived areas, the Energy Ministry said.

Despite inheriting power shortages from the previous administration, the government has prioritized rural electrification and the overhaul of aging distribution networks, with upgrades underway in 6,500 villages.

The ministry has also launched a program to equip nomadic communities with solar systems, overcoming the challenge of their seasonal migration. In the past year, 7,500 nomadic households have been provided with solar power units, enabling access to electricity wherever they move.

Efforts to boost overall generation capacity have added 271 megawatts from decentralized power plants, while the distribution transformer capacity has increased by 3,621 megavolt-amperes, and transmission and sub-transmission transformers by 9,765 megavolt-amperes.

Infrastructure expansion has included 997 kilometers of new transmission and sub-transmission lines and the replacement of 19,500 kilometers of overhead wires with cables to enhance grid reliability.

Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said recently that the government aims to tackle electricity shortages through a mix of solar generation and demand-side efficiency, noting that decentralized production at the point of consumption can deliver faster results than expanding long-distance transmission lines.

EF/