Background on the Yucatán Peninsula and Relevant Parties
The Yucatán Peninsula, located in southeastern Mexico, comprises the states of Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo. This region is a popular tourist destination known for its stunning beaches, Mayan ruins, and vibrant culture. The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) is the state-owned company responsible for generating, transmitting, and distributing electricity across Mexico. The Secretaría de Energía (Energy Secretariat) oversees and coordinates energy policies, ensuring the country’s energy security.
Power Outage Details and Impact
On Friday, a significant power outage affected more than 90% of the Yucatán Peninsula’s electrical connections. According to the CFE, approximately 2.26 million users in Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo experienced the blackout. This number represents over 90% of the total connections in these three states, with 1.9 million users in Yucatán and Quintana Roo and the remainder in Campeche.
Cause of the Outage
The outage occurred at 14:19 (Central Time) due to maintenance work on 400 kV lines ESA A3Q20/A3Q30 TIC, which resulted in a power failure affecting 2.26 million users across the three states.
Impact on Power Generation
As a consequence of the power outage, nine power plants in the Southeast region went offline, totaling 16 units. These plants are crucial for providing electricity to the region.
Restoration Efforts
The CFE, in collaboration with the Centro Nacional de Control de Energía (Cenace), initiated restoration efforts. By 16:10, they managed to restore power lines of 230 kV in the affected substations and 400 kV lines, as well as electricity service in most cities of Mérida and Valladolid, Yucatán; Chetumal, Bacalar, Álvaro Obregón, and Holbox in Quintana Roo; and a significant portion of Campeche.
Ongoing Restoration
The CFE reported that they continued to restore full service for all affected users, with the Energy Secretariat and CFE monitoring the situation closely. By 18:31, they had successfully restored power to all Yucatán connections. However, restoration efforts in Quintana Roo remained ongoing.
Key Questions and Answers
- What caused the power outage? The outage was triggered by maintenance work on 400 kV lines ESA A3Q20/A3Q30 TIC, which led to a power failure affecting over 2.26 million users in Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo.
- How many users were affected by the outage? More than 90% of the Yucatán Peninsula’s electrical connections, totaling approximately 2.26 million users, were impacted by the power outage.
- Which power plants were affected, and how many units went offline? Nine power plants in the Southeast region, totaling 16 units, went offline due to the power outage.
- What progress has been made in restoring electricity? By 16:10, power lines of 230 kV in affected substations and 400 kV lines were restored, along with electricity service in most cities of Mérida and Valladolid (Yucatán), Chetumal, Bacalar, Álvaro Obregón, and Holbox (Quintana Roo), as well as a significant portion of Campeche. By 18:31, all Yucatán connections were restored.
