- Title: Cold snap hits northern Mexico, millions suffer power outages
- Date: 16th February 2021
- Summary: MONTERREY, NUEVO LEON, MEXICO (FEBRUARY 15, 2021) (REUTERS) SNOW-COVERED CAR AND STREET VARIOUS OF SNOW-COVERED VEHICLES SNOW-COVERED TRAFFIC SIGN SNOW-COVERED STREET
- Embargoed: 2nd March 2021 23:23
- Keywords: Cold snap President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador energy northern Mexico power outage weather
- Location: CIUDAD JUAREZ, CHIHUAHUA + MONTERREY, NUEVO LEON + MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- City: CIUDAD JUAREZ, CHIHUAHUA + MONTERREY, NUEVO LEON + MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Environment,South America / Central America,Weather
- Reuters ID: LVA003DZW9UTJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Northern Mexico experienced blackouts for a second consecutive day on Tuesday (February 16) as several power plants faced natural gas supply failures from Texas, where a rare deep freeze has also left millions of users without lights and heat.
Rolling power cuts impacted Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, Mexican states that border Texas, according to national electricity grid operator CENACE. Later in the day, states further south will be included in the rotating blackouts, including major auto manufacturing centers Puebla and Guanajuato.
About 4.7 million users in northern Mexico lost power on Monday (February 15) after cold-weather froze pipelines and natural gas deliveries from Texas slowed. The freeze also knocked out electricity for more than 2 million customers in Texas.
Power had been restored to about 80% of users by Tuesday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, though CENACE asked users to cut back on non-essential energy consumption due to the lack of fuel.
Mexico imports large volumes of natural gas from the United States amid a growing deficit in its own production. While Mexico's costs have been traditionally low in the North American gas market, they spiked in recent days due to weather-related issues.
Mexico does not have a natural gas storage infrastructure, which has left it vulnerable to supply cuts or weather emergencies like the Texas cold snap.
State electricity company CFE said on Monday it would shore up the system with hydroelectric and coal generation, in addition to seeking liquefied natural gas (LNG) to supplement slowed deliveries from Texas.
(Production: Jose Luis Gonzalez, Daniel Becerril. Rodolfo Pena Roja, Liamar Ramos) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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