In 2004, Oman had 3.3 gigawatts (GW) of installed electric generating capacity, all of which came from conventional thermal sources. During 2004, Oman generated 14.3 billion kilowatthours (Bkwh) of electricity while consuming 13.3 Bkwh. Oman hopes to expand electric generating capacity in the future to support rising domestic demand and industrial growth. The government has set a goal to privatize all state-owned companies in the power sector by 2009, and the country has courted international investors to finance new independent power projects (IPP) to help raise generation capacity. Oman’s Ministry of Housing, Electricity, and Water (MHEW) has primary regulatory authority in the power sector and is responsible for electricity distribution throughout the country.