A ‘work holiday’ has been ordered for Thursday and Friday as country faces new energy crisis

The government has ordered a “work holiday” Thursday and Friday as part of the national energy emergency. According to acting Energy Minister Roberto Luque, the suspension of public and private working hours will allow the government to impose longer blackout periods to make repairs in hydroelectric power generation equipment. All public and private school classes will also be suspended.

Cuenca’s Rio Tomebamba shows the effects of prolonged drought.

Luque said the blackouts will total an average of eight hours on Thursday and Friday and could be longer in some areas. He added that earlier statements by President Daniel Noboa and other officials that blackouts would be cancelled or be temporary were premature. “We are experiencing historic drought conditions that effect the country’s hydroelectric generation capacity and a regime of power rationing cannot be avoided in the short term. We are making repairs and adjustment to make sure the system can operate at an optimum level under the circumstances.”

The government is blaming former energy minister Andrea Arrobo for “sabotage” for concealing the extent of the crisis and not providing advance notice of the need for blackouts. As late as last Wednesday, Arrobo said there would be no blackouts and that measures were being taken to “balance and reroute” the power supply so interruptions could be avoided.

“We are still trying to determine what happened, but we know the public communication was incorrect,” says Luque. “Besides the former minister, we have turned over the names of 21 employees in the Energy Ministry and in the national and local electric services to prosecutors. We believe that acts of corruption have been committed.”

One of the charges against the energy ministry is that it did not release data showing rapid drops in reservoir levels at the largest hydro generation plants since late March.

In addition to the suspension of working hours Thursday and Friday, Luque said the government will reimburse electric customers 50% of their April electric bill. “This is compensation for the crisis that households are forced to experience because of the inexcusable lack of honest communication.”

The presidential press office said Wednesday that law enforcement, fire protection, medical care, public transportation, airports and other “essential services” will not be affected by power outages.

Although the government did not release new data about conditions at the country’s hydroelectric generation plants, managers at the two largest facilities describe extremely low reservoir levels. The Mazar complex on the Paute River in Azuay Province has been forced to shut down part of its operations due low water levels. East of Quito, the Coca Codo Sinclair plant reports its reservoir level is 40% below capacity, reducing electric output. Together, Mazar-Paute and Coca Codo Sinclair produce almost 75% of the country’s electricity under normal conditions.

Luque said he is hopeful drought conditions will soon subside. “We are in the traditional rainy season until early June and weather forecasters expect more seasonal rainfall in the coming weeks. We desperately need this to restore water levels at our power plants.”

Late Thursday, the National Elections Council said Sunday’s referendum and consultation election will be held as planned.