There are many ways the Iraqi government could deliver 24 hours of electricity service per day – but none without a financial or political cost. In a wide-ranging interview with Iraq Oil Report in Baghdad, Iraqi Electricity Minister Majid Mahdi Hantoush outlined his approach to improving power supplies. One major step involves addressing runaway demand. Iraqis on average consume much more electricity per capita than neighboring countries, Hantoush said, and by installing smart metering and billing citizens for power usage, the government could enforce incentives to conserve. Another fundamental problem is the lack of planning around new construction of houses, buildings, neighborhoods, and cities. Without understanding in advance where there is going to be new demand, the Electricity Ministry has been unable to build and service the infrastructure to […]