By Belize Live News Staff: Following a widespread blackout that impacted most of Belize, Prime Minister John Briceño addressed the nation’s energy challenges, underscoring the potential for power shortages in the coming year. The Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has urged the government to declare a state of emergency over energy supply, pointing to an anticipated shortfall in generation capacity. Rising electricity demands, droughts, and limitations on energy imports from Mexico’s CFE have compounded the issue.
Prime Minister Briceño clarified that while he has not spoken directly with BEL’s CEO, he was informed that technical issues at the Mollejon plant were partly responsible for the latest blackout. “Things like this happen,” he stated, addressing the unexpected outage, “but we are working proactively to prevent future issues.”
In response to BEL’s request, the Prime Minister explained that declaring an energy emergency could expedite solutions by attracting investors to support new generation projects. “If an emergency is declared, we hope to secure 60 to 80 megawatts of additional power by next year,” he said.
Briceño further detailed ongoing discussions with Mexican officials and private investors to ensure a stable energy supply. The government is pushing forward with plans to import energy via an 80-megawatt-capacity ship, expected to arrive as early as April, to offset potential shortages.
As negotiations continue, the Prime Minister emphasized that forward planning is essential to avoid a worsening power crisis. “We don’t want to wait until the situation is dire,” he stated, “and we’re committed to finding a sustainable solution for Belize’s energy needs.”
