MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ecuador's President announces end of blackouts

As of December 20, there will be no more blackouts throughout Ecuador, Noboa announced

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa announced Tuesday that the end of the nationwide blackouts is in sight. “As of December 20, there will be no outages throughout the country. This decision is based on the recovery of the installed capacity, which for 10 years was irresponsibly neglected,” the head of State posted on X.

Among the reasons for his optimistic stance, Noboa claimed that those guilty of corruption within the electricity sector have already been prosecuted. “Danilo Carrera, brother-in-law of former President Guillermo Lasso, and Antonio Icaza, former manager of CNEL [National Electric Corporation], were sentenced to 10 and nine years in prison respectively for their acts of corruption,” Noboa pointed out.

He also added that 696.7 megawatts (MW) were added to the national electric grid through the recovery of thermoelectric and hydroelectric power plants, in addition to the purchase of energy from Colombia, and the arrival in the country of new generating equipment, all of that coupled with favorable weather conditions.

Noboa also insisted that “the effects of climate change added to the negligence and mismanagement of previous governments,” leaving the “electricity sector in crisis, which deeply affected Ecuador.”

Power cuts began last year amid an estimated deficit of 1,080 megawatts stemming from the worst drought affecting the hydroelectric plants, in addition to the non-compliance with the sector's development plan resulting in the lack of maintenance of the thermoelectric plants as electricity consumption and corruption went up. The energy crisis worsened in September when power cuts of up to 14 hours a day were implemented.

“We have done everything necessary so that, regardless of the weather conditions that affect us in the future, this will be the last energy crisis to hit Ecuador in this way,” Noboa stressed.

After 14 years of waiting and having generated energy with a minimum capacity, the Toachi Pilatón hydroelectric project will contribute 204 megawatts to the country, Noboa also underlined while heralding that between December 2024 and January 2025, 501 additional megawatts will be made available to Ecuadorean households.

Ecuador was reported to have faced losses worth up to US$ 7.5 billion as a consequence of the prolonged blackouts, according to Quito's Chamber of Commerce Chairwoman Mónica Heller.