Pezeshkian calls power cuts to industrial sector government’s last resort
11,000 MW surge in electricity demand
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed energy consumption management strategies, stating, “Power cuts in production sectors and industries are a last resort,” and his government would make every effort to avoid disrupting electricity supply to industries.
During Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, the president emphasized the urgency of accelerating solar panel installation in government offices and ensuring precise public communication on this matter.
Government offices are required to source at least 20% of their electricity from renewable energy. The president has issued a two-month compliance period for government agencies to install solar panels, effective June 21.
Pezeshkian noted, “Cultivating public awareness is a critical and effective measure for managing electricity consumption.”
The president also stressed the importance of coordinating all provincial and local authorities to combat unauthorized electricity use, particularly in cryptocurrency mining, and urged public participation in such efforts.
Pezeshkian also ordered an immediate investigation into the energy minister’s report on power sector challenges and alleged “SMS threats” against efforts to curb illegal mining activities.
Detailing regulatory actions, Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said, “Over 258,000 illegal cryptocurrency mining devices have been seized and destroyed this year. Each device consumed as much electricity as 10 households monthly.”
Aliabadi reported that Iran’s electricity consumption in the second Iranian month of Ordibehesht (began on April 21 last year was 46,000 megawatts (MW), adding, “This year, demand for the same period has reached 57,000 MW — an 11,000 MW increase compared to last year.”
Power generation growth
During a Tuesday meeting with Tehran Province’s parliamentary representatives at Tehran Regional Electric Company (TREC), Aliabadi outlined significant expansions in Iran’s power infrastructure.
He highlighted that thermal power capacity has risen from 40,000 megawatts (MW) last year to over 45,000 MW this year. Renewable energy output, he noted, has more than doubled from 300 MW to 700 MW, while distributed generation systems — small-scale power plants — expanded from 1,000 MW to 1,300 MW over the same period.
The minister also highlighted electricity imports from neighboring countries, which climbed from 300 MW last year to 500 MW this year.
On consumption management mechanisms, Aliabadi stated, “Electricity prices will rise incrementally under Parliament’s approved law. This stepwise approach aims to incentivize high-consumption users to reduce usage and optimize efficiency.”
Consumption measures
In line with enforcing consumption warnings, Head of Iran Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution Management Company Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi said Wednesday, “Customers exceeding defined usage patterns will face one-hour power cuts for every 20 minutes of overconsumption.” On Tuesday, electricity was cut in 700 major banks for surpassing consumption limits.
Meanwhile, Aliabadi said, “These measures, aimed at optimizing consumption and addressing supply-demand imbalances, will continue. However, maximizing their success requires collaboration with other institutions, particularly the parliament.”
On adjusting official working hours during summer, he remarked, “Changing office hours alone is insufficient and may disrupt families. Shifting the national clock could reduce consumption by over 1,000 MW. We hope the parliament cooperates on this.”
According to the Government Spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani, the new working hours for government offices will be “from Saturday, May 10, from 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM.”
The government earlier stated that aligning work hours with daylight would help manage energy consumption and reduce grid strain.
A recent urgent bill proposing state authority to set working hours was rejected by Parliament during expedited review.
Also last week, a member of the Parliament’s Civil Construction Commission announced the initiation of Energy Minister Aliabadi’s impeachment with 18 signatures.
According to Hamidreza Goodarzi, the number of signatures for impeaching the Energy Minister was “on the rise.”