Amid extreme temperatures, a new collapse of the electrical system exposed the lack of investment
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At the most critical moment of the heat wave affecting the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA), almost one million people were left without electricity supply, in a new massive blackout that exposed the fragility of the energy system and the shared responsibility between Axel Kicillof's government and the company Edesur.
According to the official records of the National Electricity Regulatory Agency (ENRE), around 1:30 a.m. the number of users without power came close to one million affected, mostly under Edesur's concession. As the hours went by, the service began to be partially restored, although on Wednesday morning more than 16,000 users were still without supply, in a context of extreme temperatures.
The distributor explained that the blackout originated due to a failure at the Bosques substation, which affected different substations in the City of Buenos Aires and the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area. However, for thousands of users, the technical justification sounded familiar again: summer, extreme heat, and a system that can't withstand the demand.
El comunicado de Edesur
Meanwhile, as the thermometer exceeded 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and the intensive use of air conditioners and fans pushed energy consumption to record levels, the grid collapsed once again, leaving entire neighborhoods in the dark. Almagro, Villa Crespo, Belgrano, Colegiales, downtown Buenos Aires, and large areas in the south of Greater Buenos Aires were some of the most affected areas, according to the complaints that multiplied on social networks.
The situation worsened when, for several hours, Edesur's and Edenor's official websites stopped showing updated information, which increased users' anger in the face of the lack of communication and predictability. Only around 3:30 a.m. did the data begin to be updated again.
In districts such as Lomas de Zamora, Lanús, and Remedios de Escalada, the supply began to normalize in the early hours of the morning, although other areas continued without power well into the day. At 8 a.m., the official records still showed more than 19,000 users affected by Edesur and about 500 by Edenor.
The outage also occurred just a few hours before the New Year celebration, a factor that deepened social unrest. The company stated that its technical crews were working to restore service "in stages", a promise that is repeated every summer season without translating into structural solutions.
