Turning on the lights

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

A list of electrical priorities hung on the wall in Baghdad: hospitals first, then water plants, sewage, business and industry.

A huge chart of the electricity grid was also stuck on the wall inside the ornately roofed room once inhabited by the privileged few Ba'athist leaders.

The electricity committee of the U.S. Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance on Tuesday held the first of three meetings on restoring power to Iraq.

Electricity is the key to rebuilding the war-torn country because it allows industry to restart and water to flow, as well as bringing light.

"The whole of greater Baghdad is energized," said the U.S.-appointed electrical commission chief, Karim Hassan. "We've had to cut some corners and improvise to get things linked up."

The amount of electricity inside the system is 1,000 megawatts, less than half of Baghdad's previous output. But specialists at the meeting said it should be sufficient for citizens' needs, given that industry, a huge consumer, has barely restarted, and that the Iraqi armed forces have disappeared, along with their considerable demands for power.

The problem, though, lies in the distribution; specifically at the substations.

"With this amount of power available, I need to see more houses with their lights on," said Gen. Steven Hawkins, the utilities task-force commander, who works with Mr. Hassan. "It's just not good enough. I can't understand why it's not happening. More power, more power."

Some ideas emerged on how to supplement electricity supplies.