BEL Says Second Blackout Tied to Mexico Supply Loss

Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) says the country experienced its second major power outage in a week last night. The company said it was tied to a temporary loss of supply from Mexico’s Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) at a moment when local generation was already running below demand.

According to BEL, available in-country generation on August 31st stood at approximately 109 megawatts against a demand of 117 megawatts. That follows a similar shortfall on August 25th, when local generation of roughly 103 megawatts fell short of an evening demand of 122 megawatts. On both occasions, the loss of CFE supply during an already tight margin resulted in power loss across the National Grid.

CFE said last night that service has been progressively restored after two high-voltage transmission lines were taken out of operation due to acts of vandalism, affecting users in Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Campeche and Chiapas.

BEL says available local generation continues to be affected by seasonal conditions, scheduled maintenance, and reduced output from some generating facilities.

The company says it flagged a potential 2026 supply shortfall as far back as October 2025, prompting Cabinet to declare an emergency under the Public Utilities Commission’s Request for Proposal Regulations. That declaration allowed BEL to procure temporary generation capacity, which is currently being installed at the Westlake Facility and is expected to come online by mid-September for an initial six-month period.

BEL says the additional generation will help support the grid during periods of high demand or when other supply sources become temporarily unavailable. The company also noted that a letter it sent to the PUC on August 26th forms part of its ongoing assessment of electricity supply needs over the next twelve months.

Despite these measures, BEL says controlled power interruptions or load shedding may still be necessary to maintain grid stability, particularly if a significant supply source is unexpectedly lost, adding that it will continue working to minimize impact on customers going forward.

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