Lithuania: Generators supplied to storm-hit care home amid power outages

The Anykščiai district in Lithuania remains significantly impacted by a recent severe storm, with thousands of residents still without power. As of Wednesday morning, the mayor reported that a large portion of the district was without electricity. At the peak of the disruptions, about 90 incidents were recorded in the Anykščiai region, leaving over 11,000 consumers in the dark. Only the Vilnius and Kaunas regions, along with the entire Utena county, experienced more widespread outages.

In response to the critical situation at the local care home, ESO (Energy Distribution Operator) has provided four generators to ensure continuous power supply for essential services. These generators, with varying capacities including two 48 kW units, a 12 kW, and a 6.5 kW unit, are intended to meet the most pressing electricity needs while grid repairs are underway.

However, the mayor of Anykščiai, Kęstutis Tubis, has voiced strong criticism regarding ESO's communication and coordination with the municipality. He claims the municipality is not receiving adequate information about the repair crews' activities, hindering their ability to assist. Tubis expressed frustration, stating that ESO is not cooperating and that the municipality is unaware of where crews are working, despite their readiness to help mitigate the storm's aftermath.

ESO representative Rasa Juodkienė, however, stated that the company is working closely with municipalities and elderships during the restoration process, sharing information about difficult situations and resident needs. She advised informing local authorities about critical needs, so solutions can be found collaboratively to secure essential power supply while the damaged network is being repaired. As of Thursday morning, ESO reported that approximately 62,000 consumers nationwide were still without electricity.