Electricity production up by 25% in 2009

NAJAF/ IraqiNews.com: Electricity production in Iraq increased by 25 percent in 2009 in comparison to the previous year, an official from the Ministry of Electricity said on Wednesday. “Electricity production reached 7,540 megawatts in 2009,” a senior under-secretary of state in the ministry, Raad al-Haris, said during a Najaf-based electricity conference for al-Furat al-Awsat provinces, which was attended by IraqiNews.com news agency. The official noted that this year’s production will provide two thirds of the country’s electricity needs. A fair distribution will supply all citizens with electricity for 12 hours a day, he added. Al-Furat al-Awsa, a geographical area in southern and central Iraq at the Euphrates River Basin, encompasses the provinces of Najaf, Karbala, Diwaniya and Babel and sometimes al-Muthanna. SS (P) 2