The Iranian Electric Power Industry after the Islamic Revolution: Nuclear Developments and Current Conditions

Abstract

Iran’s nuclear activities are prominent in today’s media reports. But few reports focus on the relationship between nuclear power and Iran’s energy needs. The Iranian government claims that nuclear technologies are vital for the national electric power industry and therefore for the country’s economy as a whole. It is common knowledge that the electric power industry is one of the main pillars of every country’s economy, directly influencing both state viability and national security. A state’s ability to provide and maintain the necessary amount of electricity production is vitally important. So, does Iran really, to such an extent, need nuclear power? My research shows that at the moment, and in the next ten years at least, the production of electricity using nuclear energy will secure an insignificant place in the energy basket of Iran.