The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Electricity announced today a significant milestone in the implementation of the Runaki initiative, stating that nearly 5.5 million citizens—representing more than 85% of the population—now have access to 24-hour electricity across the Kurdistan Region.

According to the ministry, the latest expansion extends uninterrupted electricity supply to all of Soran, Zakho, Raparin, Koya, Pirmam, Akre, and Simel, marking one of the most extensive coverage phases of the program to date.

As part of the transition to a new progressive tariff system, households and businesses in newly connected areas will benefit from temporary subsidies, including electricity price reductions of 50%, 25%, and 15% over the first three months of service.

Officials reported that approximately 1.47 million subscribers are now connected under the Runaki system, serving about 5.49 million citizens across Erbil, Slemani, Duhok, Halabja, and the newly integrated districts.

The government also stated that more than 5,900 neighborhood diesel generators—around 85% of the total—have already been phased out as part of the initiative. This shift is expected to significantly reduce environmental pollution, with an estimated annual reduction of over 1.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

The KRG has outlined plans to fully phase out more than 7,000 diesel generators by the end of 2026, as part of a broader energy reform strategy.

The Runaki programme was launched by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in October 2024 with the aim of providing 24-hour electricity to all homes and businesses in the Kurdistan Region by the end of 2026. The initiative was later unanimously approved by the KRG Council of Ministers in May, reinforcing its status as a national priority project.