Electricity Hits Three-Year Low in Iraq

[Barrett808]

Electricity Hits Three-Year Low in Iraq
By CHARLES J. HANLEY and SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writers

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Electricity output has dipped to its lowest point in three years in Iraq, where the desert sun is rising toward another broiling summer and U.S. engineers are winding down their rebuilding of the crippled power grid.

The Iraqis, in fact, may have to turn to neighboring Iran to help bail them out of their energy crisis — if not this summer, then in years to come.

The overstressed network is producing less than half the electricity needed to meet Iraq's exploding demand. American experts are working hard to shore up the system's weaknesses as 100-degree-plus temperatures approach beginning as early as May, driving up usage of air conditioning, electric fans and refrigeration.

If the summer is unusually hot, however, "all bets are off," said Lt. Col. Otto Busher, an engineer with the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division.

"We're living miserably," said housewife Su'ad Hassan, a mother of four and one of millions in Baghdad who have endured three years of mostly powerless days under U.S. occupation. Her family usually goes without hot water and machine washing, she said, and "often my children have to do their homework in the dim light of oil lamps."

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060314/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_powerless

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. "Let freedom reign!"

[saigon68]

6. NO This week----"FREEDOM IS ON THE MARCH"

Get it

BOOM

[keta11]

2. As Fox Jazeera Channel would tell you -

This is a sign of progress. The Eye-raqis didnt like electricity under Saddam anyway.

[Teaser]

3. Wrong: Electricity Production has been *INCREASED DOWNWARD*

Why you guys always take the pessimist interpretation is beyond me...

[Thor_MN]

14. Electrons carry a negative charge, electrial production dipping to lowest

levels must be a good thing, right?

Hey KKKarl, how ya going to spin the light at the end of the tunnel fading from brown-outs???

[Tempest]

4. This must be more of that "good progress" we keep hearing about

I'd hate to see what bad progress looks like.

[wakeme2008]

5. I wonder how much electric is being used by the US Military

and I would bet they get all they want..

[LynnTheDem]

7. bush; WORSE than Hussein.

Biggest failure? bush.

Worst for Iraqis? bush.

Killed more Iraqis? bush.

Who lied? bush.

bush; worse than Hussein.

[Barrett808]

17. The number of Iraqis killed by both dictators is debatable

But I think it's supportable to say that Bush is as bad as Saddam. And in a much shorter time span, which is pretty remarkable.

[gauguin57]

8. Mission Accomplished!

:eyes:

[Career Prole]

9. Here's the real scoop right here...

Now the U.S. reconstruction money is running out, the last generating project is undergoing startup testing in southern Iraq, and the Americans view 2006 as a year of transition to full Iraqi responsibility, aided by a U.S. budget for "sustainability," including training and advisory services.

Even that long-term support may fall short, however. The reconstruction agency allotted $460 million for this purpose, but in a report to Congress on Jan. 30 the special inspector-general for Iraq reconstruction estimated $720 million would be needed.

Good Diplomatic Rule of Thumb -- don't make Grand Promises then fail to fulfill them...bonehead.

[karlrschneider]

10. Shortage of electricity INCREASES!

Mission accomplished...

[WestMichRad]

11. Good to see all those billions we've spent...

... has helped to restore the critical infrastructure that we destroyed three years ago. :sarcasm:

[saigon68]

18. A few candles may work

[tn-guy]

12. This would be bad news if I thought it was credible.

I have difficulty believing the AP story for several reasons:

It doesn't seem to square with other reports such as this one from IEEE Spectrum. I doubt very much if IEEE has a political axe to grind one way or another on the subject of Iraq and they tend to be pretty reliable. Quite frankly, I don't trust AP reporters to understand anything more technical than a rock, so if their report differs from IEEE, I'm going with the engineers.

[CRK7376]

13. But, but

we're winning the war, hearts and minds and they are free.....sort of....
So how bad was the Iraqi power grind prior to the invasion. How much have we destroy inorder to rebuild by way of Haliburton?

[Generic Brad]

15. What a Coincidence - Energy is at an All Time High Here

We must be holding their offset.

[Generic Brad]

16. What Was I Thinking?

I wasn't thinking. Sorry for the previous post.

[fujiyama]

19. So we basically invaded them

to take 'em back to the middle ages by doing the following:

Getting rid of all those damn modern convenciences - who needs electricity anyways?

And install a theocracy.

Incite a civil war.

Yee Haa! Freedom sure is messy. Sure a few pots and pans get broken along the way...