Electricity Minister: Grid Survived Summer 2026 Efficiently... Conservation and Load Management Reduced Peak Pressure
Subaih Al-Makhzoum confirmed that the grid's maximum load decreased for the second year due to conservation efforts and load management, despite regional challenges.
Translated by Qiyas from السياسة — Original source
Al-Makhaim: Peak Load Declines for the Second Consecutive Year ... New Loads Added to the Power Grid
Dr. Sabah Al-Makhaim, Minister of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy, confirmed that the national power grid successfully navigated the summer 2026 season with efficiency, recording a peak load of 17,540 megawatts. This represents a decrease of 70 megawatts compared to summer 2025, marking the second consecutive year of decline in peak load, despite urban expansion and the addition of new loads to the grid.
Al-Makhaim stated that the peak load reached 17,610 megawatts in summer 2025, compared to 17,640 megawatts in 2024. He explained that the continued decline reflects improved consumption efficiency and the results of measures taken to manage demand, particularly during peak hours.
He added that new electrical loads added to the grid amounted to 1,059 megawatts between summers 2024 and 2025, and 1,019 megawatts between summers 2025 and 2026, totaling 2,078 megawatts over two years. Despite this, the peak load this summer remained lower than levels recorded in the previous two years.
Load Management
Al-Makhaim clarified that measures taken during the summer season directly contributed to alleviating pressure on the power system. These included reducing working hours in government entities by one hour, reducing and lowering production lines in factories during peak hours, and implementing the national energy and water conservation campaign, "Waffir" (Save).
He appreciated the cooperation of citizens, residents, government and private entities, and media outlets with conservation efforts, emphasizing that this collaboration helped reduce electricity demand during peak hours and supported grid stability and service continuity.
He noted that the "Waffir" campaign expanded its community presence this year through partnerships with government and private entities, as well as programs, lectures, activities, and awareness messages. This enhanced the culture of responsible electricity and water usage and reinforced the concept of shared responsibility in preserving the country’s resources.
Exceptional Circumstances
Al-Makhaim stated that the summer 2026 season occurred under exceptionally difficult conditions due to regional developments and Iranian aggression that targeted parts of the power system, including power generation plants, water desalination facilities, fuel storage tanks, and overhead lines. This resulted in the outage of several generation units and system components, affecting certain production and operational capacities.
He added that the repercussions of these conditions extended to routine and preventive maintenance programs, as some scheduled works could not be executed on time. Maintenance work on several units was gradually completed by the end of August.
He affirmed that the Ministry’s teams and technical staff worked around the clock to repair damages and restore affected units and facilities to service, maintaining system readiness. This enabled the Ministry to ensure service continuity and meet the country’s needs during the summer season.
Strategic Projects
Al-Makhaim stressed that consumption conservation is no longer just an awareness issue but has become a key element complementing the state’s plans to enhance the security and sustainability of the electricity and water systems. He confirmed the Ministry’s continued implementation of strategic projects to increase production capacities, develop transmission and distribution networks, and expand renewable energy projects.
He noted that several strategic projects are in their final stages with the Public-Private Partnership Projects Authority, paving the way for their implementation to keep pace with urban, demographic, and economic growth, as well as the state’s future needs.
He praised the national workforce and the staff at power stations, monitoring and control centers, and emergency facilities, commending their efforts to maintain grid stability and ensure continuous service during unusual operating conditions.
Al-Muxaimi explained that as the period of reducing and cutting production lines at factories—initiated on May 14 to alleviate electrical loads—comes to an end, the start of the new academic year coincides with intensified preparations by the ministry to ensure grid stability and meet the needs of schools and educational facilities.
