Omed Khoshnaw: all of Erbil province to have 24-hour power by mid-year

Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw said on Monday, 6 April 2026, that a special meeting had been held with directors of the General Directorate of Electricity in Erbil as part of the governorate's ongoing efforts to improve services for residents of the capital and resolve electricity problems, particularly as the seasons change.

The governor presented the latest progress on the Runaki (Light) project, the Kurdistan Regional Government's strategic programme to reform the energy system and provide uninterrupted electricity to citizens. He said the project had made major strides and that 85 per cent of Erbil province now benefits from 24-hour electricity.

Khoshnaw described this as an important turning point in public services with a direct impact on daily life, and thanked the Runaki team and the Erbil electricity directorate for their cooperation. He said work was moving quickly and that by the middle of the year the project would reach 100 per cent of Erbil province; once this phase is complete, no part of the province will be without 24-hour grid electricity.

The governor issued a series of new, urgent instructions to the electricity directorate. He stressed that citizens' interests come before everything else, that staff must be fully prepared for any eventuality, and that the doors of all offices must remain open to hear citizens' problems and requests. He also urged directorates to coordinate as a single administrative team to cut red tape and speed up services.

“Our duty in these circumstances is not only to administer but to protect the stability of people's lives and meet their needs. No negligence in getting the work done is acceptable, and everyone must be in the service of the public,” he said.

At the end of the meeting, participants discussed drawing up an early plan for the summer to prevent electricity problems and reduce pressure on substations, and the governor issued several important recommendations to the relevant bodies.