The Ministry of Energy and Mines declared the national electrical system to be in an Emergency Situation on March 18. The declaration was made in response to reduced rainfall and low dam water levels. The low water levels could potentially impact hydroelectric systems.
''Low-carbon electricity'' includes nuclear and renewable technologies. This interactive chart allows us to see the country''s progress on this. It shows the share of electricity that comes from low-carbon sources. We look at data on renewables and nuclear power separately in the sections which follow.
Oklahoma Electric Cooperative volunteers brought electricity to Barejones, Guatemala, for the first time! A life-changing mission of light and hope. #OEC #EnergyEmpowerment which took place in the region of Jalapa, about three hours from Guatemala City, consisted of 51 poles and approximately five miles of line. and enhanced safety for
Rural communities in Guatemala are rising up against unmanageable energy bills, more than two decades after the Central American country privatized its power grid.
History repeats itself. During the 1930s in the United States, farmers banded together to bring themselves the gift of electricity and form rural electric cooperatives. Today, electric cooperatives power more than 1.1 million Oklahomans and 42 million people nationwide.
In a tremendous display of giving back, 15 volunteers from Oklahoma''s electric cooperatives recently returned from Guatemala – during National Cooperative Month – where they spent three weeks building powerlines, installing transformers and wiring homes to turn the lights on for the first time in the village of Barejones.
The locals live in extreme poverty conditions without running water, plumbing, and food refrigeration. The villagers depend on farming operations for economic sustainment; they produce corn, pepper, tomatoes, and green beans among other agricultural products. They also raise farm animals.
"Bringing electricity to remote areas in developing countries takes electric cooperatives back to their roots," says Chris Meyers, general manager of the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives. "It reinforces our commitment to improve the quality of life for local communities at home and abroad. Access to electricity will bring economic empowerment, better access to health care and education, and enhanced safety for these villagers. It''s a life-changing gift."
Additionally, communications support on the mission was provided by Lance Shaw (Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives, Oklahoma City) and KorDale Lornes (Red River Valley REA, Marietta).
Oklahoma''s electric cooperatives have established a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, The Oklahoma Energy Trails Foundation, to support this cause. The Energy Trails Foundation has sponsored seven projects since 2016. All contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible. Collectively, Oklahoma''s electric cooperatives have made possible nearly 1,000 first-time electric connections through the international electrification projects.
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Hundreds of Q''eqchi'' Maya residents of the north central Guatemalan municipality of Chisec took to the streets in protest after Energuate, owned by Israeli-owned energy company IC Power, suspended energy services in town. Residents established peaceful roadblocks on June 14 to stop vehicles entering and circulating through the Chisec.
The company justified the suspension of service to 38 communities in the municipality, located in the department of Alta Verapaz, citing the fact that residents in 13 communities refused to pay their bills.
Energy services remain poor across the country, with service regularly cutting out, especially in rural areas like Chisec. "When the power goes out it affects us," said Rita Coc, a resident of Sepoc, a small village of nearly 100 families an hour drive down dirt roads from Chisec. "The candles we use do not illuminate the house like we need when we are taking care of our sick family members. We have grown accustomed to having lighting in our houses, and this why we need to find a means to lower the cost of energy."
Manuel, a resident of Sepoc, explained that many people in town decided to stop paying their lighting bills due to prohibitive costs. He described the costs as a "robbery," due to the fact that in many cases, they are paying for a service they do not receive. "We paid the bills for a time, but we could not continue to pay for this robbery when we depend on the small earnings from our crops," he said.
Activists and residents estimate that the majority of communities in Chisec do not receive public lighting. "We pay high costs because of public lights," said Rita Coc, a resident of Sepoc. "But I have never seen a single light in the streets."
Activists in Chisec supporting the communities in their protest estimate that costs for lighting in public areas—which in most cases would be covered through municipal budgets, not individual—make up as much as 60 percent of monthly energy costs, even when service is sporadic or nonexistent.
Sepoc first connected to the national energy grid in 2014. Upon receiving the first bills, the campesino community was surprised to see high monthly charges, exceeding 200 to 400 Guatemalan quetzales ($25 to $50), well outside their earnings each month. Though the official minimum wage in Guatemala for agricultural workers is 2,644 quetzales per month ($343 USD), but the majority of small campesinos do not earn a steady income, averaging around 800 Quetzales ($100 USD) per month in villages around Chisec, according to residents of the municipality.
Many communities play an important part in getting their towns on the power grid in the first place, including in some cases even erecting the very poles for power lines in their communities. Once electrified, individual monthly bills include charges for household consumption and for public lighting supplied by the company and administered by the municipality.
Other communities like Sepoc continue to face unpaid debts for the years they did not pay for the service. But residents hope to negotiate with Energuate to find a means of lowering the debt, resolving the high costs, as well as eliminating the phantom charges for services they have never received.
About Guatemala city electricity safety
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