TEHRAN - Alireza Kolahi Samadi, head of the Industry Committee at the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (TCCIMA), stated that $35 billion is required to address power shortages and modernize the country’s electricity grid.

He also called for the establishment of a unified energy command to tackle systemic inefficiencies, the TCCIMA portal reported.

Kolahi noted that Iran faces a shortage of at least 10,000 megawatts in electricity production capacity. Public investment in electricity generation stopped in the late 2000s, and private-sector investments have also declined.

The official explained that the policy of price stabilization since the mid-2000s exacerbated the decline in energy infrastructure investment.

Kolahi highlighted that from 1999 to the late 2010s, only 15-20 percent of required investments in the power transmission and distribution network were made. Over the past three years, investment in this area has nearly stalled.

He warned that outdated power transmission and distribution networks have seen minimal investment in recent years, with efforts almost halting over the past three years.

Kolahi also raised concerns about decentralized power generation, cautioning that non-standard fuel use could harm modern engines and worsen environmental pollution.

EF/MA