Ecuador to take ‘urgent steps’ to end blackouts

Quito, Oct 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said that he will announce "urgent steps" on Thursday to end power outages due to severe drought in the country.

"We have to face this crisis, and we are going to get out of this crisis ... We must make the fastest, most urgent decision that benefits the people as quickly as possible," Noboa said during an inspection of a roadway project in the western province of Manabi on Wednesday.

He said the past few months have been "intense" for the government, as the energy crisis stemming from the worst drought in six decades has affected the reservoirs of hydroelectric plants, reports Xinhua news agency.

Ecuador relies heavily on hydroelectric power to meet its energy needs. The power cuts, with some lasting up to 10 hours per day, have been in effect since September 23.

Earlier on Monday, Energy Minister Ines Manzano announced that Ecuador will continue to experience power outages due to an energy shortage caused by drought until the end of the year.

"Until the end of December, we are going to have minimal power cuts," Manzano told local television station Teleamazonas on Monday, adding that the government was taking steps to reduce the duration of power cuts which could last up to 10 hours.

Manzano assured citizens that power availability would improve by late November, saying, "We will control, improve, and compensate for the service interruptions."

Ecuador is facing its worst drought in six decades, which has led to a 1,080-megawatt energy deficit, Xinhua news agency reported. The energy crisis worsened on September 30, after Colombia, also suffering from severe drought, announced the temporary suspension of electricity exports to Ecuador.

The blackouts in Ecuador have severely impacted productivity, with business losses estimated at $12 million for every hour of power outage.

Source: IANS