Jordan’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Saleh Al‑Kharabsheh, confirmed on Tuesday that the government is not planning scheduled electricity outages at this stage, as supply chains continue to function normally and contingency plans are in place.

According to Al‑Kharabsheh, the kingdom holds strategic energy reserves that can sustain electricity generation for approximately one month if imports were disrupted, along with fuel stockpiles that cover between 30 and 60 days depending on the type of petroleum product. These reserves have not been tapped and are being preserved for emergency use, such as supply chain disruptions.

Since the onset of the current regional tensions, Jordan has been operating under emergency response plans and multiple scenarios to secure both electricity fuel and energy for other sectors. Long‑term supply contracts remain active, and power plants are being fueled from existing stockpiles as usual.

Al‑Kharabsheh noted that before the crisis, gas used in power generation cost about $7 per million British thermal units (MMBtu). Global developments pushed the government to rely more heavily on liquefied natural gas (LNG) at around $28 per MMBtu, nearly four times the previous price. As a result, some plants are running on fuel oil (for example the Aqaba thermal plant) and diesel when demand spikes.

The additional cost to Jordan’s budget because of these energy shifts is estimated at JD 2.5 – 3 million per day, depending on electricity demand levels.

On fuel pricing, the minister pointed out that global oil prices have climbed to about $100 per barrel. Jordan’s fuel‑pricing committee is set to meet at the end of the month to review international trends and set local prices accordingly, with the government pledging to try to ease the impact on citizens.

In terms of increasing domestic energy production, Al‑Kharabsheh explained that the National Petroleum Company is advancing plans to develop the Risha gas field, with a tender issued to drill 80 wells aimed at producing over 400 million cubic feet per day by 2029. Daily gas consumption in the kingdom is currently around 340 million cubic feet, meaning that, once fully developed, the Risha field could meet national demand. Work is also underway to tender a pipeline from Risha to major consumption centers, expected to be completed by 2029 alongside production expansion efforts.