Electricity on the Peninsula
Electricity on the Santa Elena Peninsula is generated locally. CELEC's thermal plants in Santa Elena produce about three times what the province uses, and the surplus goes to the national grid.
How it works
| Stage | Who | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Generation | CELEC EP | Thermal plants 2 and 3, Sector 14, Santa Elena: 132.1 MW installed, about 124 MW effective |
| Transmission | CELEC Transelectric | High-voltage lines and substations; the province's lines converge at Las Juntas (SimĂłn BolĂvar) |
| Distribution and billing | CNEL EP | Local lines, connections and bills in all three cantons |
| Demand | â | The whole province uses only 35â45 MW |
Coverage (2022)
- La Libertad: 97.6% of homes (lowest in zone 5, 89%)
- Salinas: 97% (cabecera 98%, José Luis Tamayo 97%, Anconcito 94%)
- Santa Elena canton: 93.8%
Good to know
- The transmission lines converge at Las Juntas, in the dry forest; a fire there can affect supply across the area.
- Street lighting is the most common complaint: some parks, sports grounds and the San PabloâE-40 bypass are poorly lit.
- During national power rationing, local generation does not protect homes from cuts â see Power Cuts Ecuador.
Paying
See Paying Utilities. (The rubbish collection fee is now charged on the water bill, not the electricity bill.)
Sources: PDOT cantĂłn Santa Elena (pp. 96, 115); PDOT Provincia de Santa Elena 2019â2023 (p. 63); PDOT Salinas 2023â2027 (p. 150); PDOT La Libertad 2024â2030 (pp. 113â114).