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An incident at the Paute Molino substation caused outages and programmed disconnections in several parts of Ecuador early Tuesday, including Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Loja.
Colombia is considering restarting electricity exports to Ecuador, but El Niño could make those sales uncertain from November 2026 into early 2027. The issue matters because the Colombia interconnection can supply about 450 MW, nearly 10% of Ecuador’s average demand.
Ecuador is warning of high-energy waves from June 23 through June 25, 2026, with 12 beaches under red flag and 29 under yellow flag. The alert covers coastal and island areas and matters for beach travel, fishing and ocean activities.
Regressive erosion on the Coca River has damaged key infrastructure for more than six years, with estimated losses between $4.7 billion and $5.5 billion through May 2026. The risk matters nationally because Coca Codo Sinclair supplies about 25% of Ecuador's average electricity demand.
Ecuador’s new state of exception applies for 60 days in ten provinces and three cantons. There is no curfew for now, but the decree allows temporary limits on home and correspondence protections while security forces operate in the covered areas.
Primicias reports Ecuador's government said the second day of maintenance power cuts ended after 7:00 on May 31. The announcement contrasted with official schedules and user complaints from Guayas.
Primicias reports CNEL published a search tool for electricity cut schedules on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31. The schedules matter for residents planning errands, work, charging and travel over the weekend.
Celec says high river flows, sediment and rocky material damaged part of the Coca Codo Sinclair area after more than 20 continuous hours of pressure from the Coca River. El Comercio reports the national electric system remains guaranteed, but the episode shows why Amazon river conditions still matter for electricity users across Ecuador.
A survey of 2,570 companies found that nearly half can't fill open positions. The biggest barriers: lack of experience, weak digital skills, and wages that don't compete.
Ecuador is burning through diesel at a 23% faster rate to keep the lights on. Diesel prices jumped from .11 to .45 per gallon. And the government just failed — for the second time — to secure emergency thermal generation contracts.
Without Colombian electricity and an unreliable Coca Codo Sinclair plant, Ecuador's grid operator projects rolling blackout risk during the October-March dry season. The government is scrambling to rent diesel generators.
Average salary expectations have dropped 2.66% this quarter to $818, while the basic food basket costs $829. Here's what the gap means for Ecuador's economy and the expat cost-of-living picture.
