El Niño Threatens to Deepen Belize’s Energy Crisis
Belize’s hydroelectric generation is currently running about 50% below what would normally be expected for this time of year, as the country continues to experience below-normal rainfall.
BEL Chairman Lynn Young, who previously chaired Hydro Belize, says the lack of rainfall during the rainy season is affecting hydro production, with concerns growing over how El Niño could prolong dry conditions and further impact electricity generation.
“We haven’t really had a rainy season at all. A couple weeks ago, we had the kind of rain you would expect in October, and that has already seemed to have dried up. The result of that is that hydro is now giving us about 50 per cent less than what we would normally expect around this time of the year.”
El Niño is expected to bring hotter and drier conditions across the region, which could further affect rainfall and water availability for hydroelectric generation in Belize.
If dry conditions continue, BEL could face greater pressure to rely on alternative sources of electricity to meet national demand as hydro generation remains low.
Young says this is not the worst hydro situation the company has experienced. According to him, Hydro Belize faced periods of similarly low or even lower generation and managed through them.
“I can tell you that this is not the worst hydro situation. When I was managing, we’ve had situations where it’s been as bad as this or worse, and the company handled it well.”