On June 19, 2024, Ecuador experienced an unexpected nationwide blackout that left the entire nation of 17 million people without power for several hours. This incident was caused by a failure in energy transmission line.
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The blackout was triggered by a failure in an energy transmission line, which led to a “cascade disconnection” across the country, as reported by the National Electricity Operator.
The power outage affected the entire nation with some areas experiencing outages for as little as 20 minutes, while others endured longer disruptions.
By the evening of June 19, energy was restored to 95% of the country. The disruption in services including public transportation and essential services.
In the capital city, Quito, the blackout resulted in the suspension of the subway system causing disruptions in the daily commute.
Non-functional traffic lights led to chaos on the roads. The Quito municipality deployed traffic agents to manage the flow of vehicles manually.
The blackout affected several hospitals including a children’s medical center in Quito and two hospitals in Guayaquil. While these facilities relied on backup generators.
Citizens across the country expressed surprise and frustration. Guayaquil residents suffered in sweltering heat with temperatures reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), complicating the situation as they were unable to use air conditioning or fans.
Roberto Luque, Ecuador’s Minister of Energy acknowledged the failure on social media and addressed that the blackout was a result of years of underinvestment in the energy sector.
Since last year, Ecuador has been struggling with an electricity generation crisis leading to frequent power rationing.
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The crisis has been attributed to a drought associated with the El Niño weather pattern, which has depleted reservoirs that support hydroelectric power production responsible for 75% of Ecuador’s electricity.
The country has been dealing with frequent power cuts and an overall energy emergency declared by President Daniel Noboa in April.
Infrastructure Minister Luque highlighted that previous administrations had failed to invest adequately in maintaining and expanding the energy infrastructure. A similar major power outage occurred in 2004.
The capital’s subway system ground to a halt, causing inconvenience to commuters. Traffic lights ceased functioning, leading to dangerous driving conditions and confusion on the streets of Quito and other major cities.
Many businesses those without backup generators were unable to operate, affecting commerce and everyday life. In some areas, access to drinking water was suspended.
Public Works Minister Roberto Luque, who also serves as the acting energy minister attributed the outage to a failure in a transmission line, describing it as a “cascade disconnection.”
Luque acknowledged that the blackout underlined issues within Ecuador’s energy sector including inadequate investment in electrical systems. He stressed the need for investments to prevent future incidents.
Earlier in the year, President Daniel Noboa declared an energy emergency due to a drought that hampered hydroelectric power generation.
Heavy rains over the preceding weekend forced the temporary shutdown of three hydroelectric plants.
The Ministry of Education announced the suspension of night classes, transitioning them to online formats to cope with the blackout.
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