The Energy Crisis Committee determined that there will be no power cuts until January 15, 2024. This decision was made due to the better state of the electric power system, especially in the reservoirs of hydroelectric power plants. The improvement was attributed to “effective management” and favorable weather conditions, which led to a significant and sustained recovery.

The commission was led by the Minister of Energy and Mining, Andrea Arrobo, and included Javier Guevara, CEO of the National Electricity Operator (Cenace) and Paúl Urgilés, General Manager of the Ecuadorian Electricity Corporation (Celec) to assess the country’s energy situation.

According to the Ministry of Energy, in addition to the climate problem, the factor that favors the fact that there will be no new power outages for at least another 17 days is the reduction of daily electricity consumption by more than 4% thanks to the “Ecuador” campaign “Light up with your savings.” In this sense, the commitment of citizens is essential for the continuation of energy saving measures in the consumer sectors: residential, commercial, industrial and public.

In any case, the Ministry explains, the energy crisis is not over, the dry season will last until the first quarter of 2024 and will repeat next September. Therefore, in order to avoid the energy rationalization presented this year and guarantee reliable electric service in the future, it is necessary to promote the development of generation and transmission projects, develop energy efficiency plans and activities that promote energy saving, such as those foreseen in No more blackout bills.

The regulations, for example, propose the creation of a Fund for energy efficiency, which will be financed by allocations from the fiscal budget and funds from international cooperation, in order to encourage initiatives coming from different sectors. Among other things, priority will be given to energy saving campaigns, replacement and replacement projects of equipment, machines and devices, and the implementation of energy management systems.

Minister Arrobo emphasized the importance of technical management of the power sector and timely planning, and at the same time called on the industrial sector to continue supporting its own energy production.

Finally, he expressed the need to implement these initiatives in order to face the current crisis and guarantee long-term energy sustainability.