Companies in Panama could be affected with the new arrangements for energy rationing as they do not have backup electricity systems.
According to the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP), these companies may have losses of $3.7 million per hour of programmed blackouts.
José Luis Ford, president of the Chamber of Commerce said he is worried about businesses who do not have generators to create their own supply and that the infrastructure of their business would be affected in the absence of ventilation during the period in which they will have to shut down the air conditioning systems.
The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture in Panama is urging the private sector to adopt urgent energy saving measures in order to avoid programmed blackouts.
The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) has asked the private sector to implement, with the utmost urgency, actions to reduce electricity consumption in order to delay the possibility of rationing, as if savings are not made, blackouts could be scheduled promptly.
The delay in the start of the rainy season, has forced the National Dispatch Centre to declare a state of alert on energy rationing in Panama.
The National Dispatch Center (CND by its initials in Spanish) has been forced to declare a state of alert because the analysis for long-term planning reveals a deficit of more than 5% for the next 15 weeks. "The warning appears in a note sent on April 26 by the Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica, S.A.
Employers in Costa Rica are on alert because of the late entry into service of hydroelectric projects and the rising cost of electricity.
In the last six years, and in the absence of hydro plants, which are still under construction, the need to deal with the growing demand by using thermal generation of electricity, has made electrical service tariffs in Costa Rica grow at a higher rate than inflation .
Costa Rican Industrialists have presented the government with an update list of equipment that is tax-exempt because it optimizes energy use.
Agustin Rodriguez, a member of the Institute for Business Excellence of the Chamber of Industries, said the aim is to improve the existing Act 7447, which regulates the rational use of energy by the public and private sectors.
The National Electricity Company will purchase 50 megawatts in order to meet the shortfall and avoid blackouts.
Although it goes against the renewable energy policy presented by President Lobo, authorities at the National Electricity Company (ENEE), said there is no alternative but to buy thermal energy from private generators.
This purchase will be made at 0.26 cents per kilowatt, and will have no impact on consumer prices, as explained by representatives of ENEE.
The plan approved by the Council of Ministers includes the implementation of special times in public offices and multi-hourly rates among others.
The program includes energy audits at state agencies in order to establish benchmarks for savings, the implementation of multi-hourly rates and a new tariff schedule.
It also includes traffic management plans to be implemented by municipal authorities.
Unión Fenosa, Nicaragua's leading electricity distributor, announced the reimposition of rationing. Fenosa blamed the energy crisis and the government's failure to deliver 60 megawatts generated by two recently acquired mobile plants.
In all, 600,000 Fenosa clients will be affected by blackouts of between three and seven hours. The blackouts will be rotated by region and time.