Speaking during a provincial visit to Golestan and meeting with local investors and business leaders, Pezeshkian emphasized energy as the foundation of development. “Until producers, industrialists, and economic actors have access to stable and sufficient energy, discussions of development remain meaningless. Development without energy supply is mere rhetoric,” he said.

Pezeshkian recalled that when the current administration took office, the country faced a 20,000-megawatt energy shortfall and critically low fuel reserves on the eve of winter. At the time, over 3 billion liters of fuel were needed for a safe winter, while domestic gas production did not meet demand.

Energy Crisis Management and Reserve Expansion

A special task force was formed to manage the energy crisis, Pezeshkian said. “We were forced to impose repeated shutdowns and restrictions, which were far from ideal. Last winter, power and gas outages were far worse than this year. Thanks to careful planning, proper reserve management, and other measures, conditions have improved noticeably,” he added.

The president highlighted that, alongside the increased fuel reserves, nearly 4,000 megawatts of combined-cycle and new power plant capacity have been added. An additional 4,000 megawatts have been managed through expanded solar panel deployment. He also noted ongoing energy-saving and consumption management initiatives.

Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Focus

Looking ahead, Pezeshkian stressed the government’s commitment to expanding renewable energy, particularly solar power. “Given Iran’s vast land and solar potential, we can fully meet domestic demand and even become an energy exporter,” he said.

Addressing concerns from local business leaders about transport corridor development, Pezeshkian said the issue remains a government priority. For the first time, $2.5 billion has been allocated to corridor development, with an additional $10 billion-plus to be funded from a percentage of oil sales, approved by the Supreme Leader, for roads and national corridors.

He also criticized unnecessary bureaucracy between ministries. “Why should the energy minister write a letter to the oil minister to resolve a problem? Or the agriculture minister to the central bank? This process must change so bureaucracy is cut and problems solved as quickly as possible,” Pezeshkian said.