Ongoing power outages in Jazira Canton, no immediate solution in sight

Before 2011, electricity in Jazira came from a sustainable mix of hydroelectric dams, mainly the Tishrin Dam (Syria’s second-largest dam with a design capacity of about 630 MW) and the Euphrates Dam, as well as local network power plants including Al-Suweidiya and Jibsa, providing relatively continuous electricity to Hasaka and surrounding areas.

Since 2011, services have declined due to severe pressures on local energy sources. Water levels in the Euphrates have dropped due to Turkey reducing water flow, leading to a decrease in dam-generated electricity to less than 10% of design capacity, especially since early 2020. This has negatively affected the electricity supply to northern and eastern regions, including Hasaka.

Hydroelectric dams such as Tishrin played a key role in supplying the region with electricity, but reduced water levels and the Euphrates falling from over 302 meters to below 295 meters limited the dam’s ability to operate turbines at full capacity, contributing only about 50 MW—insufficient for basic electricity needs even through the end of 2025.

The Euphrates Dam (also known as Al-Tabqa Dam) is the largest in terms of storage and hydroelectric capacity in Syria, with eight turbines totaling about 880 MW. It supplies electricity and water to large parts of North and East Syria, including areas of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Jazira. However, the drop in the reservoir level from about 304 m to 297–298 m greatly reduced turbine operation, lowering actual output from 880 MW to roughly 60–65 MW.

Power generation from both dams stopped completely on January 18, 2026, after government-aligned factions took control of the dams that month, according to officials in the Electricity Directorates and the Autonomous Administration Energy Authority.

In addition to the dams, the Al-Suweidiya and Jibsa plants played a supplementary role. Al-Suweidiya, located in the Rmelan oil fields, supplied a significant portion of electricity, while Jibsa, built in 2019, served as a small local power source. However, attacks on these plants, particularly Al-Suweidiya, by Turkish forces during 2023–2024 reduced their output and eventually put them out of service completely after a Turkish strike in 2024.

Although the January 29 agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Transitional Government in Syria included arrangements to manage energy sources and dams for the benefit of residents, implementation on the ground has yet to affect power supply. Electricity has been completely cut off since the recent military escalation in North and East Syria earlier this year.

The total blackout has directly affected daily life and socio-economic and service conditions.

Residents and civil institutions continue to rely on private generators to meet daily needs, despite high costs, increasing the financial burden in a time of ongoing economic pressures.

Ziad Rustum, Co-Chair of the Energy Authority in the Autonomous Administration, told ANHA agency that the outage is due to direct attacks on transmission lines and power stations after government-aligned factions took control of the Tishrin and Euphrates dams and Jibsa plant, making restoration of electricity difficult.

ANHA