Energy crisis: Blackouts increase in Ecuador with outages lasting up to 11 hours a day

( Spanish) – At around midnight on Sunday, in the midst of the energy crisis that Ecuador is going through, the Government issued a new statement in which it reported on changes in the schedules of the blackouts planned for this week, which will be accompanied by power cuts of up to 11 hours in several cities.

“Given the radicalization of climate change in recent days, it is necessary to redistribute the suspension of electrical service,” the Ministry of Energy and Mines said.

The government clarified that the power cuts will no longer be limited to night and early morning, as was planned until last week, but will also be applied during the day at different times depending on the city and neighborhood.

The energy crisis that Ecuador is suffering has been marked by a severe drought and the complex state of hydroelectric plants that cannot operate at full capacity. Added to this is the insistence of experts and citizens in the streets who believe that the Government of Daniel Noboa should take more precautions to face this crisis that Ecuador has been dragging on since 2023 when it increased its purchase of energy from Colombia.

The Ministry of Energy asked citizens to enter an official link so that they can review the new schedules of power cuts depending on your place of residence and the service distribution company.

The Emergency Operations Committee (COE) decided this Saturday to extend the declaration of red alert due to water shortage, forest fires and food security from 15 to 19 provinces: Azuay, Bolívar, Cañar, Carchi, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Imbabura, Loja, Manabí, Morona Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Santa Elena, Sucumbíos, Tungurahua, Galápagos and Zamora Chinchipe. Ecuador has a total of 24 provinces.

The aim of the resolution, according to the Government, is to safeguard the integrity of the population, infrastructure and livelihoods, which are being affected by drought conditions nationwide.

Last January, the National Assembly approved the Energy Competitiveness Law, called the “No More Blackouts Law” at the initiative of President Noboa, whose purpose was to increase the supply of electricity generation and rescue the electricity sector. However, the measure has been insufficient and the Government is currently looking for emergency mechanisms to generate energy such as renting a floating barge that they are trying to incorporate into the operation from the coastal province of Guayas.