Power outages begin in Iran due to fuel shortage

In response to a deepening energy crisis, electricity distribution companies in Tehran and other provinces announced rolling blackouts for residential and commercial areas starting Sunday.

The outages, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., are part of a government strategy to conserve fuel and reduce reliance on mazut, a pollutant-heavy oil, as power plants struggle to meet demand.

Although initial plans aimed to limit blackouts to certain provinces, the inclusion of Tehran province highlights the growing urgency of the situation. The new plan does not affect the capital itself but will result in power outages in surrounding cities and towns.

Iran’s energy infrastructure is grappling with one of its most challenging winters. Facing a critical natural gas, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration has prioritized avoiding the widespread burning of mazut, a high-sulfur fuel oil, as a substitute at major power plants in cities like Arak, Isfahan, and Karaj.

To mitigate mazut emissions, the government ordered planned blackouts, with power cuts announced across several provinces. By Sunday morning, Tehran’s electricity distribution company joined the list, publishing a blackout schedule before the website quickly became inaccessible due to traffic surges.

This measure has been presented as an environmental alternative to mazut, with officials citing health concerns associated with the fuel’s toxic emissions.

On November 7, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani supported the blackouts on social media, saying that “scheduled blackouts can temporarily replace toxic emissions” from mazut.

The fuel shortages have left power plants scrambling, with limited gas and diesel reserves forcing heavy reliance on mazut. As of mid-November, ministry of energy data indicates that gas supply to power plants dropped 30% compared to the previous year, with diesel reserves reduced to less than 1.26 billion liters. The drop in liquid fuel stocks comes after a 36% reduction from 2022, adding pressure to an already strained power grid.

Political justifications and public reactions

Amid this crisis, some government officials have placed partial blame on the public, saying that high domestic energy consumption is contributing to the shortages. Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, executive deputy for Pezeshkian, urged citizens to lower heating use and electricity consumption, calling high demand a significant factor in the blackouts. He pointed to energy subsidies as part of the issue, suggesting that low prices encourage excessive consumption. However, critics argue that the government’s infrastructure management rather than consumer behavior, is the root of the crisis.

Power outage in an Iranian city

Chairman of the Board of the Electricity Syndicate Hassanali Taghizadeh has pushed back on claims that domestic use is disproportionately high, saying that Iranian households consume about half the electricity per capita compared to Europe.

“It’s wrong to say that public consumption is high. Our people consume far less electricity than the world, but we’re used to shifting blame onto them,” he said, calling for structural solutions rather than reliance on temporary blackouts.

Iran has the world's second largest natural gas reserves but years of negligence to invest in the gas fields and Western sanctions have reduced production.

Outlook on Iran’s energy policy

With around 80% of Iran’s electricity derived from thermal power plants reliant on gas, the administration faces mounting pressure to address what experts say is a systemic fuel shortages. Energy committee member Sepahvand said that without consistent gas supplies, disruptions may persist across both household and industrial sectors in the months ahead. Yet, long-term solutions, such as substantial investment in infrastructure or energy alternatives, remain elusive, leaving Iran reliant on interim measures like scheduled blackouts and continued mazut use.

Iran’s winter energy crisis has highlighted the country’s reliance on emergency measures, as officials grapple with a resource shortage exacerbated by decades of underinvestment. With blackouts set to continue, questions over energy policy and sustainability linger as winter sets in.