It’s difficult to maintain a good supply of power in the best of situations. Whether you’re worried about a steady supply of coal (clean or not), keeping a steady grid, and a myriad of other things that can come up. Bu worrying about potentially despotic rulers are above and beyond the run of the mill power generation problems.
Venezuela, under the rule of Hugo Chávez, is seeing massive power generation problems.For the last 12 years of the Chávez regime, the Venezuelan government has face huge problems with its power generation. According to energy expert José Manuel Aller, a professor with Simón Bolívar Univesity, the country has systemic problems meeting its power needs.
Aller says that Venezuela’s electricity grid needs to expand by 500 MW per year. But since Chávez has been in control of the country, Venezuela’s power has only grown by 100 MW per year—at best.
Not only is the power generation operation not growing fast enough, but up to 60% of its equipment is obsolete and out of service. The Chávez regime hasn’t spent any money—and no major outside investment has helped—on growing the power infrastructure.
Right now, 19 states in Venezuela (of 23) are facing electricity rationing. That rationing still isn’t enough, either. The country also suffers from regular blackouts.
Venezuela is a major player in the international oil trade. It’s the 40th-largest country by population, as well. Hopefully, if the government can find some stability, it will also find some outside funding to keep it sufficiently powered.
