Ecuador grapples with 14-hour blackouts, climate change, and alleged corruption
Worrisome news of blackouts in Ecuador: “Since mid-September 2024, Ecuador has been experiencing power outages, up to 14 hours per day, across its entire territory.”
Some of it appears to be related to droughts which are affecting hydroelectric produciton: “According to the Ecuadorian digital media organization La Defensa, chats between Arrobo and Noboa reveal that the Minister of Energy warned President Noboa that droughts and limited rainfall would affect the hydroelectric plants, which provide the majority of Ecuador’s electricity. Most hydroelectric energy production depends on rainwater flow as the plants require a base amount of water to spin the turbines that generate electricity. Arrobo stressed to him that if the drought continued, the hydroelectric plants “will not hold up.”