According to statements made by Andres Camacho, head of that portfolio, the percentage of the domestic reservoirs are higher than risk levels.
“The minimum that has been calculated is 27%, and we surpass almost five points. That means we have not reached critical points. It is paramount looking after reservoirs. Hence, we are taking additional measures, and we are asking the public to take care of the water,” he told local Caracol Radio.
In light of protracted domestic drought, aggravated by the effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon, there are fears among the population of possible power cuts or pursuing rationing measures in relation to the supply of the service.
People’s concern became more acute after the disclosure of a letter from the XM Company, operator of Colombia’s Interconnected System and administrator of the Wholesale Energy Market, in which it asks the Executive Power to take measures to control consumption.
Camacho pointed out that the letter’s content coincides with the discussions held weekly in the Committee for Follow-up and Monitoring of the Energy Situation in the country.
The authority affirmed that all those months of drought have been overcome without any problem or risk of blackout, and “we are already in the last phase, which implies taking great care in the recovery of our reservoirs.”
Generally, rainy seasons in Colombia extend from the end of March to the onset of June and from the end of September to the beginning of December.
In the country, primary energy production comes mainly from large-scale hydroelectric plants.
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