Electricity generation and transmission capacity has suffered from the civil war, too. In 2010, Syria generated almost 44 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, 94% of which came from conventional thermal power plants and the remaining 6% from hydroelectric power plants. By early 2013, more than 30 of Syria’s power stations were inactive, reflecting generation capacity losses upwards of 20%.
Furthermore, at least 40% of the country’s high-voltage lines have been attacked, according to Syria’s Electricity Minister. The night-time satellite images below illustrate the devastation experienced by Syria’s electricity system.
Figure 3. Electricity generation, 1980-2012. Click to enlarge. Source: EIA
Figure 4. Satellite images provided by #withSyria show the dramatic drop in lights at night in Syria between 2011 (left) and 2015 (right). Click to enlarge.
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