BEL asks Public Utilities Commission to declare electricity emergency

Belize is facing serious electricity-related issues threatening its economic growth and energy stability. Due to difficulties securing additional energy sources, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has warned that peak electrical demand is expected to exceed current generation capacity within the next year. To minimize the risk of recurring blackouts, BEL has requested the Public Utilities Commission to declare a power generation emergency following an unplanned outage that affected nearly the entire country on Tuesday, November 12th.
A recent unplanned power outage lasted about an hour, disrupting many towns and interrupting a Special Sitting of the House of Representatives. A broken transmission line and other issues within the BEL system caused the outage. Additionally, the challenges were exacerbated by an inadequate supply from Mexico’s Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) alongside excessive demand. BEL’s General Manager highlighted the difficulties in restoring power and warned that more outages may occur if demand continues to exceed local generation capacity.
Following the outage on Tuesday, the Prime Minister addressed the media, stating, “We experienced a blackout due to an issue at Mollejon. While I haven’t spoken to the CEO directly, Minister Chebat, as the Minister of Energy, is the appropriate person to be informed. This is why most of the country was powerless, except for Orange Walk and Corozal. I’m not sure why those two areas were unaffected. These incidents happen.”
Given capacity limitations, BEL has started implementing regular power outages throughout the country to manage the national electricity system and meet demand. These outages frustrate residents and pose risks to crucial industries like tourism, which rely heavily on a stable electricity supply. The situation is expected to worsen due to BEL’s anticipation of ongoing challenges with its foreign supplier, CFE, especially during the dry and warmer months.
As one of the top tourist destinations in Belize, Ambergris Caye is often affected by power outages. The installation of a much-needed gas turbine in San Pedro Town by BEL, aimed at boosting electricity capacity, continues to face delays. While the gas turbine was successfully commissioned and load tested to its rated capacity of 21 megawatts in September of 2024, there was a failure with a transformer, causing it to remain offline. BEL has stated that the gas turbine will remain offline until the defective transformer is replaced, which is expected to be completed before the end of this year. Ambergris Caye is connected to the National Grid via a submarine cable that can only handle 17 megawatts. The cable has already reached and exceeded its capacity several times, causing load shedding and extended blackouts. In the meantime, BEL will monitor power usage in San Pedro and, if necessary, implement a backup plan to protect the island’s only submarine cable connection.
Belize’s electrical problems highlight the urgent need for government intervention to upgrade its infrastructure and ensure reliable energy access for its citizens and businesses.