Iran is Struggling to Create a Just Energy System

Iran has achieved near-universal electricity access and widespread gas coverage, but sharing the benefits and burdens of its energy system fairly remains a challenge.

By Arya Kia

Iran would appear, at first glance, an unlikely place to discuss energy deprivation. It possesses some of the world’s largest oil and natural-gas reserves and has spent decades expanding electricity and gas infrastructure across the country.

That expansion is a genuine development achievement. According to the World Bank’s electricity-access d…