Venezuela’s New Power Rationing Round Slows Factories and Daily Life
Industry lost 44 percent of its working hours to power failures in the second quarter. The new electricity rationing in Venezuela deepens that squeeze. The post Venezuela’s New Power Rationing Round Slows Factories and Daily Life appeared first on The Rio Times .
Venezuela has implemented a new round of electricity rationing, which has slowed factories and daily life across most of the country. The cutting of power has been ongoing since the first half of August, with large users asked to cut air conditioning, limit lifts, and escalators, and run their own generators. The rationing has affected shopping centers, hotels, and industrial parks, with malls set to remain dim for eight weeks.
The cause is not drought but damage and decay to the power system, including two earthquakes in June that damaged generation and transmission. The Venezuelan thermal fleet is the main problem, with only about a tenth of installed capacity currently generating electricity. The gap between supply and demand is roughly 2,000 megawatts.
The government attributes the crisis to El Niño, but analysts warn the real drought risk is in 2027. Large industry has been able to expand 10.8 percent, while small industry has contracted 5.4 percent. Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez has cut public-sector working hours and many offices close around 12:30pm. In the interior, scheduled blocks of at least four hours without power are common. Residents should plan for power outages and have generators and backup systems in place.
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