Venezuela rations power as demand soars on hot weather

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuela’s socialist government yesterday announced a nationwide electricity rationing plan to tackle a surge in demand caused by rising temperatures in recent weeks.

The measures include cutting the workday for public officials to six hours, asking private companies to boost energy efficiency and inspecting malls and factories to ensure they meet reduced power consumption targets.

“Within a week, power demand has risen 1,500 megawatts,” Electricity Minister Jesse Chacon said on state TV. With demand at 18,000 megawatts, he said, “the system begins to have stability problems.”

Peak temperatures in recent weeks have risen to 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit) in Caracas, the capital, and have hit 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) in the sweltering western city of Maracaibo.