What Happened Iraq has approved a deal with Germany-based Siemens to upgrade its dilapidated power sector and build electricity projects. The deal, which could be worth at least $14 billion, was announced April 30 while Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi was in Germany for a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Iraqi-Siemens "road map" to restore and boost Iraq's electricity supply "includes the addition of new and highly-efficient power generation capacity, rehabilitation and upgrade of existing plants and the expansion of transmission and distribution networks," Siemens said in a statement. Why It Matters Upgrading Iraq's power sector is a clear objective of Abdul-Mahdi's government. The country has suffered from rolling blackouts and unpredictable electricity generation since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 — with damage exacerbated by the fight to retake parts of the country captured by the Islamic State in 2014.