By Belize Live News Staff: The latest round of power outages in Belize is once again putting the spotlight on the country’s heavy dependence on electricity imported from Mexico.
On June 19, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) advised that a generation shortfall, driven by supply constraints on imports from Mexico’s Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), had left some customers without power and could force additional load shedding. CFE flagged the supply problems to BEL at around 4:45 p.m., and the company said the issues were ongoing.
It is a familiar pattern. BEL has long operated as much as an energy broker as a producer, buying a large share of the nation’s electricity from CFE. That arrangement has repeatedly left the grid exposed when Mexico runs short. In September 2025, a system collapse in Mexico, which at the time was supplying close to half of Belize’s electricity, triggered a nationwide blackout and emergency load shedding until supply was restored late that night.
The vulnerability is rooted in a gap between demand and local generation. Belize’s electricity demand regularly climbs above 100 megawatts, while in-country capacity has at times sat well below that level, leaving the country reliant on Mexican supply for a significant portion of the day. The power Belize buys from CFE is also interruptible, meaning it can be curtailed at short notice.
That exposure has fueled the government’s push for greater energy independence, including its move into hydro assets and a larger stake in BEL. For now, customers are being asked to brace for possible further interruptions while BEL works to shore up generation.
BEL apologized for the disruption and said it would provide updates as the situation develops.
