Panama and Dominican Republic near record electricity demand as temperatures climb

Panama is approaching its historic peak electricity demand, reaching 2,161 megawatts at the end of June, just 74 megawatts shy of the 2023 record. National Energy Secretary Lisnely Valdés said the rise is driven by higher temperatures and increased use of air‑conditioners, especially in residential areas, and urged consumers to set units between 23‑25 °C and use fans.

In the Dominican Republic, the national inter‑connected system recorded a new instantaneous peak of 4,185.11 MW on Tuesday night, surpassing the previous high of 4,166.52 MW set on 16 July. Energy Minister Joel Santos attributed the surge to sustained summer consumption and highlighted recent public‑private investments that expanded generation capacity, allowing the grid to meet the demand without instability.

Both countries attribute the spikes to hotter weather and growing electricity use, while noting that recent infrastructure upgrades have helped maintain system reliability.