Brutal Summer Heat Tests Ability of Energy Exporters to Keep Their Citizens Cool
Energy-rich countries across the Middle East and North Africa are struggling to keep power flowing to their own citizens during intense summer heat, with Egypt the latest to impose rolling blackouts. The outages here have prompted concerns that Cairo’s domestic gas supply is running low. Iran and Iraq, both oil exporters, are also facing blackouts as blistering temperatures envelop the region, with the thermometer reaching 122 degrees Fahrenheit in Baghdad, buckling aging power grids.
A lack of electricity to run air conditioners, fridges and fans led to small protests on the streets of Baghdad this month. Similarly, in some cities in Iran, where electricity usage hit a record last month, the weight of demand has caused power networks to collapse in recent weeks. The Iranian government shut banks and public offices for two days to discourage residents from going outside in the heat, and officials have urged people to consume less electricity.
In Egypt, analysts say that extreme summer temperatures have been exacerbated by a lack of maintenance of some power stations, rising demand from a fast-growing population and falling output at the country’s largest gas field. “It’s very likely that Egypt has a shortage in gas," said Timothy Kaldas, deputy director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, a Washington-based nonprofit. “Production is down and there are no exports at a time when they’re desperate to export." The Egyptian government denies it is facing a gas shortage and says power cuts are necessary because of rocketing demand during the heat wave.
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