Iranian Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi announced that 1,000 water and electricity projects will be inaugurated across the country by the end of the year (March 20, 2026), stating, "With the inauguration of solar power plants, 7,000 megawatts of electricity will be added to the national grid."
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of water and electricity projects in southwestern Tehran, Aliabadi stated that the inauguration of these projects will add 4,000 megawatts to the country's electricity generation capacity. He noted that water and electricity projects will be inaugurated weekly until the end of the year and announced the commissioning of solar power plants, from which 7,000 megawatts of generated electricity will be integrated into the system. Aliabadi emphasized the equitable distribution of water and electricity, saying, "We will not witness these problems in the future."
During the energy minister's visit to the west and southwest of Tehran Province, alongside the inauguration of electricity industry projects, a 10,000 cubic meter water reservoir in Nasimshahr was also inaugurated. Accordingly, supplying drinking water and emergency water storage are among the project's objectives, benefiting 250,000 residents through its social and environmental impacts.
During the inauguration ceremony, Aliabadi pointed out that electricity consumption this year has been lower than last year, attributing this to public cooperation and the development of diverse projects in power generation and distribution across the country.
The energy minister also stated that a critical condition ("red status") has been declared for the Mamlu Dam (in southeast of Tehran), adding that other dams in the country are also not in optimal condition. He expressed hope that with continued public cooperation, the country will overcome this situation. "The capacity of the country's water resources is limited, while it possesses abundant energy and minerals," Aliabadi said.
Emphasizing the necessity of moving towards sustainable development, the minister added, "This will be achieved through improved productivity." He stated that human resources constitute the country's main advantage, adding, "Therefore, we must place intelligent, trained, and hardworking human resources at the core of development." He stressed that the critical point is optimizing consumption, saying, "Today we are entering the fifth industrial revolution. In this context, smartification is highly important as we move into the cyber-physical era." He noted that electricity consumption will undoubtedly increase during this period, "but we must have more optimal consumption."
The minister announced that the export of Iran's electrical equipment to neighboring countries is currently underway, expressing hope that "by commissioning development projects and expanding renewable power plants, we can earn foreign exchange revenue through electricity exports for other projects."
He described electrical interconnection with neighboring countries as a policy of the ministry, noting that developing power links is on the agenda. Aliabadi stated, "Despite limited capacities, we currently have power interconnections with Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Iraq, and plans to connect with Oman are also on the agenda." He added that a feasibility study for interconnection with the UAE has been underway for years and is currently being pursued.
