El Salvador faces rising electricity demand as El Niño‑driven heat intensifies

In July 2026, unusually high temperatures across El Salvador spurred a sharp increase in residential electricity use, especially for air‑conditioning, pushing up household bills. Edwin Núñez, president of the national transmission company ETESAL, said the surge required immediate technical adjustments, including upgrades at an eastern‑region substation, and that the country's diversified generation mix—geothermal, hydroelectric, wind and natural‑gas—allowed it to meet the extra load without rationing or outages.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources confirmed that El Niño has been influencing the country's climate since 23 June, bringing hotter, drier conditions and reduced rainfall. Officials warned of continued heat and dry spells through July and August, with the potential for weak, moderate or strong drought periods, though no large‑scale health impacts or power disruptions have been reported yet.