President Daniel Noboa, speaking from Ambato, acknowledged a severe climatic situation affecting both coastal and Andean regions and said falling river and aquifer levels would force additional maintenance on transmission and distribution networks in coming days. He did not address the overnight blackouts directly. Days earlier, on October 5, Noboa had told a Guayaquil radio station that no Ecuadorian family would suffer power cuts. The contradiction fueled public frustration, with merchants and residents recalling the 2024 energy crisis when rationing reached 14 hours per day.
Ecuador’s daily electricity demand averages 4,500 megawatts and peaks at 5,500 megawatts. The country currently faces a deficit slightly above 1,000 megawatts. The Amaluza reservoir, feeding the Paute hydroelectric complex, stood at 1,973 meters above sea level on October 14, two meters below its minimum operating level. The Mazar reservoir measured 2,125 meters, ten meters above its critical threshold. Both facilities are central to national supply; Paute alone accounts for approximately 19 percent of Ecuador’s electricity generation. The dry season, typical in the final months of the year, has been exacerbated by El Niño, which brings heavy rainfall to the coast but drought to the southern highlands where most hydroelectric infrastructure is concentrated.
To reduce load, the government on October 14 began disconnecting more than one hundred high- and medium-voltage industrial users three days per week. The National Aquaculture Chamber warned that extended cuts threaten the continuity of shrimp exports, which require constant refrigeration. The measure initially proposed disconnections seven days per week, prompting the chamber to call for transparency about the crisis severity. Hours later, Public Administration Secretary José Neira announced the schedule would revert to three days, acknowledging that the original terms had been erroneous and dismissing the official responsible. Business groups estimate losses from the mandatory disconnections exceed one billion dollars. Noboa announced that maintenance on the national transmission system will begin October 17 but provided no details on duration, affected zones or whether additional blackouts will occur.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
