In the Middle East, war often survives in the electricity grid long after it recedes from the battlefield. It persists through blackouts, fuel shortages, damaged substations, disrupted water supplies and hospitals forced to rely on generators for the basic requirements of life. From Gaza and Syria to Lebanon and Yemen, energy systems have been destroyed, degraded or deprived of investment. Restoring them will require immense financial resources, advanced technology and sustained political coordination. Yet energy reconstruction is not simply an engineering or humanitarian undertaking. Decisions about who finances a power station, supplies its equipment, controls its software and maintains its operations can shape a country’s economic orientation and political relationships for decades. The next phase of Middle Eastern energy diplomacy [...]
