TEHRAN – Iran has extended electricity access to 99.8 percent of its rural population, marking one of the highest rural electrification rates in the world, according to the head of the Iran Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution Company (Tavanir).

Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi said significant progress has been made over the past 46 years, noting that the number of villages accessing the national grid has grown thirteenfold since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

“Rural communities have always played a vital role in the country’s sustainable development, and the power industry is proud to serve them by improving living standards and supporting regional progress,” he said, as quoted by Tasnim news agency.

Rajabi Mashhadi added that Iran’s rural electrification rate surpasses the global average of about 80 percent, with almost all officially registered villages of more than 10 households now connected to the grid.

Since the beginning of the current year, 32 new villages have been connected to the national grid, and around 5,000 nomadic households have gained access to portable solar power systems. In recent years, more than 33,500 nomadic families have benefited from such solar units, he noted.

Tavanir has invested about 240 trillion rials (roughly $4.8 billion) in rural power network expansion and development, Rajabi Mashhadi said. The network improvement program has so far covered 25,800 villages, including 4,000 this year alone.

Efforts have included relocating and reinforcing power lines, replacing transformers, and upgrading street lighting. Around 220,000 electricity poles have been repositioned, 40,000 kilometers of rural power lines refurbished, and nearly 8,000 transformers replaced to strengthen the grid and stabilize voltage.

Rajabi Mashhadi said Tavanir plans to invest another 16 trillion rials ($320 million) in the current Iranian year (ends in March 2026) for power generation, rural network upgrades, and electricity projects on strategic southern islands.

“These remarkable achievements signal a brighter future for rural development and a major step toward improving the quality of life for villagers across the country,” he concluded.

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