POWER RATIONING begins March 20

MEASURES  to ration the  use of electric energy after the blackout on  Friday in Panama  city and province of Colón begin on Monday March 20.

The Electric Transmission Company, S.A. (Etesa) announced the measures on Sunday evening and ordered the public and private sector to  turn of air conditioners , from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., including shopping centers of the city.

Businesses and offices that have electric power plants must be turned on and “fully disconnected from the network”.

This measure does not include public and private hospitals, the Metro de Panamá,  and some areas of Tocumen, and the rest of the country.

The decision to ration energy,said Etesa is for “the recovery and total stabilization of the  electricity system in the city, after the blackout resulting from three explosions at the Etesa substation in Condado del Rey.

“The state of alert is declared as a preventive measure to avoid overloading the system in the city

Of Panama and allow technicians to successfully complete the stabilization of the system” Etesa said in a statement.