Venezuelans lose sleep in bid to curb electricity shortage

[inanna]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Monday 2 May 2016 00.05 BST

Venezuelans lost half an hour of sleep on Sunday as their clocks were moved forward to save power at the order of President Nicolás Maduro.

At 2:30 am local time, the oil-dependent South American nation shifted its clocks forward by 30 minutes, to four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. The move, announced in mid-April, was part of a package of measures the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) member nation is pursuing to cope with a crippling electricity shortage.

Maduro’s socialist government has allowed rolling blackouts, a reduced work week of two days for public sector workers and the closure of schools on Friday to try to save electricity.

Maduro has blamed the El Niño weather phenomenon for the lack of rain that has reduced the lakes at Venezuela’s hydroelectric dams to oversized puddles. The drought – the most severe in 40 years – has especially affected the El Guri dam, which provides 70% of Venezuela’s electricity.


Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/02/venezuelans-lose-sleep-in-bid-to-curb-electricity-shortage

[Elmergantry]

1. oops! Too much reliance on "green energy"

Maybe they ought to burn some of that oil they are swimming in.

[Judi Lynn]

2. They've discussed making time changes there for years. This is not a huge shock to anyone. n/t

[Igel]

3. What is a shock is that El Nino has been affecting Venezuela for 3 years.

That how long it's had its drought that Maduro says is caused by el Nino.

The El Nino started last fall.

Time must flow differently there.