• India's PFC inks pact with Exim Bank
    Published: May 16, 2008 at 12:31 PM
    NEW DELHI, May 16 (UPI) -- India's Power Finance Corp. has signed an agreement with U.S. Exim Bank to receive an $800 million loan.
  • India Oil to shelve refinery proposal
    Published: May 16, 2008 at 12:09 PM
    NEW DELHI, May 16 (UPI) -- State-run Indian Oil Corp. is contemplating shelving its 15 million-ton greenfield refinery in southern Tamil Nadu state.
  • India won't cut duty on oil imports
    Published: May 15, 2008 at 9:40 PM
    NEW DELHI, May 15 (UPI) -- Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said there will be no reduction in the duty charged on imported oil, despite soaring energy prices.
» view more...
  • Fall River fights five-year battle against LNG facility
    Published: May 16, 2008 at 10:18 AM
    By JOHN C.K. DALY
    UPI International Correspondent
    WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) -- A five-year struggle continues between Fall River, Mass., residents and Weaver's Cove Energy LLC over a proposed LNG facility. While the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the project, the Coast Guard opposes it as an unacceptable safety risk.
  • UPI Energy Watch
    Published: May 15, 2008 at 12:19 PM
    OPEC cuts estimate of growth in world oil demand for 2008; The United Arab Emirates' crude oil output increased last month; Philippine government may cut taxes on oil and gas
  • Nigerian militants attack oil vessel
    Published: May 15, 2008 at 11:10 AM
    By CARMEN GENTILE
    UPI Energy Correspondent
    Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama have called for a resolution to the conflict between rebels intent on crippling Nigeria's petroleum industry and government officials.
  • Mongolia, coal and inflation
    Published: May 14, 2008 at 7:56 PM
    By JOHN C.K. DALY
    UPI International Correspondent
    WASHINGTON, May 14 (UPI) -- Rising fuel and food costs are hitting Mongolia hard, with foreign investors exploiting the situation to pressure the country to open up its economy. Given the country's political isolation, sandwiched between China and Russia, its two major trading partners, Ulaanbaatar is being held over the proverbial barrel in negotiations with its giant neighbors, leaving its population of 2.9 million nervously awaiting further aftershocks from rising inflation.
  • Congress blocks administration from stockpiling oil
    Published: May 14, 2008 at 7:28 PM
    By ROSALIE WESTENSKOW
    UPI Correspondent
    WASHINGTON, May 14 (UPI) -- Faced with growing pressure to decrease gas prices, U.S. senators voted to stop stockpiling oil in the national reserve yesterday, but they rejected a plan to increase domestic production.
  • UPI Energy Watch
    Published: May 14, 2008 at 3:47 PM
    IEA: Developing nations cause high oil prices; New oil, gas fields will add to Indonesia supply; Australia says oil, gas tax breaks to go
» view more...

Iraq power outage prompts Babil threat


Published: Jan. 24, 2008 at 5:52 PM
Print story
Email to a friend
Font size:
BABIL, Iraq, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Iraq's national power outage has prompted the head of Babil province to send Baghdad an ultimatum: Give us electricity or we'll take it.

"If we compare Babil with the other provinces, such as Karbala and Najaf, Babil is suffering from lengthy blackouts due to the other provinces do not stick with their own shares," said Salim al-Muslimawi, the governor of Babil province, Badr Newspaper reports.

He said the Electricity Ministry has a week to ensure the province receives its due share of electricity or the province will cut its power plants from the grid.

The central government nominally decides how much electricity to ration to each province. But that allocation has been accused of being corrupt. And some provinces have kept using electricity past their allotment.

In the past, especially during outages last summer, provinces would cut the connection to the national grid and use all the power they generate within the province.

Muslimawi says other provinces are stealing what is due to Babil, located immediately south of Baghdad.

"We have sent many messages to the central government but they have not responded," he said. "This is why we have given them this period before we cut any connections."

Iraq's Electricity and Oil ministries each rely on the other to keep electricity and fuels coming to Iraqis. And each blames the other -- power outages stopped oil production and refineries, and power plants need fuels to operate.

The Electricity Ministry says Turkey has stopped delivering electricity and Kuwait has cut supplies of power plant fuel.

© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
Print story
Order reprints
Email to a friend
Post comment
See Also:
» Next in Energy - Briefing: Iraq oil law talks not taking place now