Venezuela: Electricity Crisis isn't over

[protocol rv]

Venezuela’s Planta Centro power plant, which has been under reconstruction for nine years, only generates 300 MW out of rated capacity of 2,000 MW.

The causes of the electricity crisis facing Venezuela "are present, and regardless of rain" in the headwaters of the Caroní River, Bolívar state, the problem "is far from solved," said José Manuel Aller, an expert and professor in power generation.

According to Aller, power plant Planta Centro was built in four years. "Almost nine years have elapsed since reconstruction of the plant began, and it only produces 300 MW out of rated capacity of 2,000 MW." The expert showed the audience some pictures of the power plant located in the city of Morón, north central Carabobo state. The photos were taken in 2003, and they show a serious deterioration of the plant. The power plant "was cannibalized. The problem is not the lack of water or (meteorological phenomenon) El Niño, but poor management," he said.

He recalled that in 2008, there was a good flow of water into dams, particularly in the south of the country. However, there were several large-scale blackouts in Venezuela. "The number of power failures and disruptions due to the weakening of the distribution lines and transmission grids is growing."

Aller questioned the government's decision to set up distributed generation plants, claiming that they are "very expensive and maintenance is hard." Additionally, these small plants "are typical of underdeveloped countries, and not of Venezuela, a country that has a developed electricity infrastructure."

http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/05/06/en_eco_esp_the-causes-igniting_06A3866055.shtml

[subsuelo]

1. Do you know that nobody can trust anything you post here now?

[protocol rv]

2. Why, because I made a joke about the Cuban diet?

:-)

[protocol rv]

3. Or do you think the power cuts in Venezuela are imaginary?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/11/venezuela-energy-crisis-chavez

Venezuelan energy crisis threatens the Chávez revolution

President's popularity plunges ahead of elections as drought leads to blackouts and electricity rationing

An energy crisis has battered Venezuela's economy and President Hugo Chávez's popularity, prompting severe rationing to avert nationwide blackouts and paralysis....

...Businesses have reported a collapse in sales and employment, which is expected to aggravate a recession already the deepest in South America, and compound the president's woes ahead of legislative elections.

Blackouts and rationing have become increasingly frequent since December, prompting an estimated 25% fall in economic activity, according to business leaders. "We feel as if the country is shutting down bit by bit," said Damiano Del Vescovo, head of the chamber of commerce in Valencia.

Chávez has told big businesses and government offices to cut energy consumption by 20% and warned of tougher measures to come. "I apologise to all the people who are suffering electricity rationing. But I've said it since the start of the year, we have to do it. It's like being put on a diet, in this case an electricity diet," he said this week...

A recent opinion poll found 62% thought the country's situation was negative and 54% had little or no confidence in Chávez. Almost 60% disapproved of the government's handling of the crisis. Critics say the drought would not have been so damaging had there been more investment in power plants.

The socialist president has said his Bolivarian revolution – named after liberation hero Simón Bolívar – will falter if he loses legislative elections in September.

"The squalid ones are hoping it won't rain," Chávez said, using his usual term for the opposition. "But it's going to rain, you'll see, because God is a 'Bolivarian'. God cannot be squalid. Nature is with us."

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Another article:

http://laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=354633&CategoryId=10717