Ecuador declares energy emergency amid severe regional drought and El Niño
Al Jazeera
Colombia has stopped electricity exports to Ecuador as both countries grapple with diminished hydroelectric reservoirs.
A drought fuelled by the El Niño weather phenomenon has forced Colombia to cut the export of electricity to its neighbour Ecuador, where an energy emergency has since been declared.
Speaking in Guayaquil on Tuesday, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa acknowledged the critical state of the country’s energy sector.
“Today we took a strong decision – once again we had to – which is to declare an emergency in the country’s energy sector,” Noboa said.
Both Colombia and Ecuador are dependent on hydropower plants to meet the energy needs of their populations. But the drought has sent water levels tumbling, including in reservoirs used for electricity.
A minimum flow of water is required to spin the turbines used to power hydroelectric plants.
