Venezuela will face in 120 days a national power collapse if the water levels of the Guri hydroelectric dam, the country's largest, continue to decline and if the government does not take the necessary steps to reduce electricity consumption and creates other forms of power generation, since 70 percent of electricity supply in Venezuela depends on Guri hydroelectric power plant.

This is the main conclusion of a Corpoelec's report on the situation of the Venezuelan electricity system. The document was issued on December 25, 2009 and provides alarming details about the situation of Guri dam.

According to the report, 70 percent of electricity used in Venezuela (9,870 megawatts, MW) is generated by Corpoelec's Electrificación del Caroní (Edelca) through hydroelectric plants located at the Caroni River. The average power of those plants is 7,500 MW. That is, they are generating more electricity than they should.

Less than a month ago, top officials of Corpoelec and Edelca presented to the workers of the basic industries a group of measures that are part of the national energy saving plan. They estimated that it was necessary to cut energy consumption by 1,600 megawatts (MW) to prevent a widespread power collapse.

On Tuesday, when top authorities of different domestic power companies announced power outages, they estimated that the energy deficit at 1,700 MW.

In the report prepared by Corpoelec, dated December 25, 2009, the National Electric Corporation lists a series of measures to be taken urgently, but the savings would amount to 980 MW.

The report suggests several measures to save the aforementioned 980 MW, including the following:

- Reduction of energy demand in shopping malls (20MW).

- Use of 35 million energy-saving bulbs in addition to the 15 million that have been already replaced (200 MW).

- Reduction of energy demand in public administration buildings, under presidential decree No. 6,992 (50 MW).

- Increase of thermoelectric generation to its highest levels (100 MW).

- Implementation of higher tariffs to large commercial users.

- Reducing energy sales to Brazil by 70 percent (60 MW).

- Reduction of energy demand in basic industries such as the aluminum smelters Venalum and Alcasa, and steelmaker Sidor by 300 MW, 60 MW and 200 MW respectively, for a total of 560 MW.

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas