Venezuela extends energy-saving plan to Caracas shopping centers for eight weeks

Venezuela's interim government and the Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce (Cavececo) have agreed to extend the Energy Saving Plan by eight weeks, aiming to reduce the country's high electricity consumption. This initiative will, for the first time, encompass shopping centers in the Greater Caracas region.

Freddy Cohen, president of Cavececo, announced that shopping centers in the capital will operate under a new energy-saving scheme. This scheme divides operating hours into two blocks: 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The measure is set to continue until October, by which time the executive branch anticipates achieving stability in the National Electric System (SEN).

The interim government has formalized several electricity-saving measures for the commercial sector to confront the ongoing energy contingency. They attribute these challenges to the effects of the "Super Niño" climate phenomenon. Cohen noted that since 2009, the commercial sector has been developing strategies for self-generation of electricity to alleviate the national grid's burden.

From the perspective of the commercial sector, shopping centers currently account for only 2.7% of the country's total electricity consumption, with residential areas consuming 40%. Preserving a portion of economic activity through energy-saving measures, the sector believes, helps reduce pressure on the national grid.

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the shopping centers represent currently only 2.7% of the total electricity consumption of the country, placing at 40% the use of the service in the residential area.