Energy crisis in Ecuador: Government announces power cuts of
Ecuador will have power outages of up to 14 hours a day. The news was announced by the Minister of Energy in charge, Inés Manzano, on the evening of Thursday,
Ecuador's state-owned electricity company, CELEC EP, imports electricity from neighboring Colombia. CELEC is also increasing diesel purchases from Petroecuador to power its thermal electric power plants. Ecuador had a peak demand of 5,110 MW in May 2025, and according to CENACE, electricity demand grows by 360 MW every year.
Ecuador's energy shortage could result in a recurrence of power outages, particularly in the dry season of September through December. Ecuador has added minimal generation in recent years. In 2020, the Energy Ministry awarded two projects to the private sector: a 110MW wind farm (Villonaco), and a 200MW solar plant (El Aromo).
Chronic underinvestment in the electricity sector has made Ecuador vulnerable to power disruptions. During a prolonged dry season in 2024, Ecuador's over-reliance on hydropower (78 percent of total generation) resulted in daily blackouts of up to 14 hours, hurting economic activity.
Ecuador had a peak demand of 5,110 MW in May 2025, and according to CENACE, electricity demand grows by 360 MW every year. Ecuador's energy shortage could result in a recurrence of power outages, particularly in the dry season of September through December.
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