Only rain will end blackouts, government says

When asked at a Monday press conference when electric blackouts will end, Energy Minister Antonio Goncalves said, “I cannot tell you what only God knows.” He added that “rain is the only way out” of Ecuador’s energy crisis. “Specifically, we need rain to refill the Mazar reservoir near Cuenca and when that happens, rationing will end.”

Ecuador Energy Minister Antonio Goncalves during a tour of Paute-Mazar hydroelectric complex on Saturday.

Goncalves explained that “rapidly collapsing hydrological conditions” forced the government to revise its schedule of blackouts. “This drought is the worst in more than 60 years and is causing crises not only with hydroelectric generation but for drinking water supplies, agricultural interests and many other things,” he said. “It is beyond the ability of this or any government to create rain.”

Because of the deteriorating situation, the Ministry and Emergency Operations Committee (COE) decided Saturday night to impose blackouts in 12 provinces on Sunday and nationwide blackouts beginning Monday morning. “We are in emergency conditions and were forced to make emergency decisions,” he said. The original plan for nighttime blackouts Monday to Thursday, was scuttled and replaced with the new schedule.

The Energy Ministry and the COE will meet Friday to determine next week’s blackout schedule, if necessary, Goncalves said. “We will meet every Friday for as long as necessary to decide on the following week’s actions,” he said.

Goncalves apologized for communication problems that prevented local electric utilities from providing blackout schedules on Sunday. “Because of the late notice, the companies did not have time to post schedules, and we are sorry for the this. There were also some scheduling problems this [Monday] morning but I believe those are resolved.”

Goncalves said the reservoir level at Mazar is dropping again following a brief rise from weekend rains. “Without the service suspensions, the three plants at Mazar would only function for one more week due to low reservoir levels,” he said. He reported that the generation plants at Mazar were shut down briefly Monday morning for maintenance work but were back in operation by afternoon.

In a social media post following the news conference, Goncalves wrote: “Pray for rain. The weather institute says this could come this weekend.”

For the Cuenca and Azuay province blackout schedules, go to the Centrosur website and download the pdf.