Aziz Ahmad, Deputy Chief of Staff to Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, announced on X on Thursday that over 1 million citizens in the Kurdistan Region now have 24-hour electricity access thanks to the Runaki initiative.
“Tonight, dozens of new neighbourhoods in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok have permanently moved to 24-hour electricity – bringing uninterrupted electricity to over 1 million citizens through the KRG’s national Runaki initiative,” Deputy Chief of Staff Ahmad posted on X.
“That means 15% of the Kurdistani public now enjoys access to uninterrupted electricity.”
MILESTONE: KRG's 24-hour electricity initiative (#Runaki) reaches 15% of the public.
— Aziz Ahmad (@azizkahmad) May 29, 2025
Tonight, dozens of new neighbourhoods in Erbil, Slemani and Duhok have permanently moved to 24-hour electricity — bringing uninterrupted electricity to over 1 million citizens through the KRG’s… pic.twitter.com/BG004Dwucw
Furthermore, he noted that nearly 1,300 diesel generators have been shut off. “That’s the equivalent of removing over 225,000 vehicles from the road – along with the noise and pollution they bring to our neighborhoods.”
New neighborhoods added to the project also will receive three months of subsidies in order to adjust to the new prices. “Under Runaki, 80% of households will pay less than they did before for a combination of diesel generators and grid electricity,” the KRG official added.
Read More: KRG Expands 24/7 Electricity Access Under Runaki Project
A member of the Runaki team told Kurdistan Chronicle that “over 1 million people in the Kurdistan Region now receive 24-hour electricity through the Runaki Project.
“500,000 new beneficiaries were added in the past month alone. This figure represents approximately 15% of the region’s population. Runaki is the KRG’s initiative to provide round-the-clock power and reduce reliance on diesel generators.”
The official added that there are 860,000 beneficiaries in Erbil, 132,000 in Sulaymaniyah, and 114,000 in Duhok, and that the service will reach Halabja in August 2025.
“The goal is to complete coverage of all city centers by the end of 2025, and extend to surrounding areas by the end of 2026. Nearly 1,300 private generators have been shut down due to the expanded grid coverage. The project addresses long-standing dependence on costly and polluting private generators,” the official concluded.
In late March, Deputy Chief of Staff Ahmad announced that there were nearly half a million people in the Kurdistan Region that had uninterrupted power for the first time in 30 years.
In October 2024, KRG Prime Minister Barzani announced that 24-hour electricity will be provided to all of Kurdistan by the end of 2026 as part of the Runaki project, which also has an official website and a Whatsapp group.
For years, the Kurdistan Region has faced frequent power outages despite its considerable oil and gas reserves. The KRG’s Ninth Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Barzani, has devoted itself to improving services such as water and electricity throughout the region and to limiting air pollution.
