_{Photo: BEL working to restore power}

by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Fri. May 10, 2024

On Thursday, Belize experienced an unannounced five-and-a-half-hour power outage. Despite our earlier check-ins with Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) on the plans for any outages, in response to which they assured us there would be none, it was lights out for not only Belize City but various parts of the country.

According to BEL, the outage was due to a fault in the transmission line between the Maskall and Westlake substations, with only Corozal, Belmopan, and parts of San Ignacio remaining unaffected. “This is not due to the failure to the supply for CFE (Comisión Federal de Electricidad),” BEL explained in a release.

Despite their projections that power would be restored by 1:15 p.m. on Thursday, it was not restored until around 5:25 p.m. that evening. (To make matters worse, there was a complete loss of water supply to the city caused by a broken water main, which was projected to be fixed by 10:00 p.m., but actually water supply to most areas was not restored until 6:00 a.m. on Friday; and even then the water pressure was low, thus only reaching users at ground level until 6:00 p.m. when the pressure was increased so that elevated structures could receive water.)

As a result of the power outage, offices and businesses throughout the country suffered significant effects caused by the outage, especially those without generators, as it lasted throughout working hours.

Downtown Belize City in particular, saw business come to a standstill, as business owners, staff, and the general public all found themselves by the street side, accessing the only fresh air they could find.

“It was bad. Since it left at 12:00 noon, we didn’t have access to anything, and it was hot. We had to shut down around 4:00 that evening. In fact, every day we have an outage, we have to close up and leave; and that’s bad because no money is being made,” an employee from Maya Electronics told AMANDALA.

The owner of Savage Boutique, reliant on air-conditioning, described similar difficulties, explaining that the lack of power and internet makes it impossible to operate effectively. “It has slowed down my business, [so] that I have to message everyone and say I will be open depending on how long I have current. I have no generator or internet access. If I buy data on my phone, it finishes quickly and it costs me more. So I’ve had to shut down,” he said.

Employees from other businesses also reported major inconveniences, stating that the outage caused them a great burden due to delayed work. “The power outage throughout the week affected me greatly, as I was unable to use my work computer and internet. And when the power finally returned, the working day was over, and I would need to catch up on work the following day. This was burdensome,” one person said.

Others, such as a restaurant owner AMANDALA interviewed, were more fortunate, as they were prepared to weather out the weeklong barrage of power outages. “It honestly did not affect us much, as I had charged up my appliances and had buckets of water stored up. We were ready and our customers still arrived,” he said.

In response to the power crisis, BEL has announced that the Westlake Gas Turbine, for which upgrades were expected to be completed by the end of this week, is currently in operation and is expected to increase the country’s capacity from 19 megawatts to 30 megawatts.

Today the Prime Minister, Hon. John Briceño, confirmed his visit to Mexico on Monday, where he had plans to meet with officials from the CFE, to address Belize’s ongoing energy crisis and explore ways to secure a more reliable and affordable energy supply for Belize.

Currently, Belize can import up to 55 megawatts of electricity from CFE, but the Prime Minister hopes to increase this limit to at least 60 megawatts. This additional energy would help meet Belize’s growing demand and stabilize the national grid.

The Prime Minister also planned to discuss the potential for purchasing electricity at lower costs during off-peak hours, specifically around 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, when energy is cheaper.

Additionally, the discussions were also to cover long-term strategies to ensure that Belize can meet its energy needs independently while benefiting from the partnership with CFE. This includes the potential development of infrastructure that supports the increased energy imports from Mexico.

“I’m very optimistic and excited about what can be accomplished,” PM Briceño told reporters.