Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Playa del Carmen Mayor Estefanía Mercado says the city is simply “overwhelmed” regarding the constant power outages. She said she held a meeting with CFE officials and Governor Mara Lezama to address the ongoing problem of a lack of electricity.
“The reality is that we are overwhelmed, we cannot deny it,” Mercado said Monday adding that her administration is preparing to invest in substations to help reduce the number of blackouts.
Her comment came after a group of residents held a press conference, publicly demanding a solution to the constant lack of electricity.
Mercado said the Playa del Carmen City Council will participate in a joint project with the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) to strengthen the electrical infrastructure and reduce the power outages that have been occurring around the city.
She said one of the main projects includes the strengthening of old substations and the construction of new ones with the participation of private initiatives and housing developers, who will be incorporated into the working groups.
The mayor recently held a meeting with Guillermo Pedrero, Playa del Carmen’s CFE (Federal Electricity Commission) superintendent, to move forward in defining the project.
“We had a working meeting with the CFE, with developers, and with all the stakeholders involved in the growth of Playa del Carmen. We need everyone to be able to fundamentally solve the problem of power outages,” she said Monday.
She said the goal is to have the necessary projects completed by the end of this year in order to significantly reduce interruptions in the city’s power supply, adding that once the projects have been decided, an investment amount will be announced by Governor Mara Lezama.
According to Mercado, it is up to the CFE to identify the areas where the electrical infrastructure needs to be improved or expanded in order to coordinate efforts and resources.
“We need to know where the most affected areas are and, from there, work together. The city council is ready to participate so we can guarantee better service for the families of Playa del Carmen,” she said.
On Monday, residents from several neighborhoods publicly demanded the intervention of authorities to put an end to the repeated power outages they have suffered for weeks.
Some of the most affected areas include Misión de las Flores, Xcacel, Las Palmas 1 and Villas del Sol.
During the Monday meeting, the group also addressed Governor Mara Lezama reporting the “serious problem that we have been facing for some time due to the constant, prolonged and repeated power outages,” which have resulted in damage to appliances, loss of food and medicine, interruption of economic activities and care in clinics, and the risk for those who depend on supplemental oxygen or electrical equipment.
“Continuous and sufficient access to electricity constitutes an essential service linked to the right to a dignified life, health and the safety of the population,” they read out loud to the press Monday.
Over the weekend, Governor Mara Lezama said she met with the Federal Electricity Commission to review actions to strengthen the service and support the growth of the state.
Lezama led the virtual meeting with representatives of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and the 11 municipal mayors of Quintana Roo to strengthen coordination and address the electricity needs in the state.
As part of these efforts, maintenance and modernization actions of the electrical grid will be reinforced, in addition to advancing new substations and capacity expansions in Benito Juárez, Playa del Carmen, Othón P. Blanco and Cozumel.
