Blackouts tell tale of two cities

It is barely dawn in the quiet suburb of Phnom Penh Thmey, but already the silence has been pierced by the cacophony of generators. On some streets, nearly every household has one of the machines burning through diesel in a bid to fill their basic electricity needs: refrigeration, lights, a fan. But less than two kilometres away in Tuol Kork district, the streets are silent. Here, power flows unimpeded, and the residents sleep in the relative comfort of whirling fans. For months now, residents of Phnom Penh have been grappling with power cuts in the sweltering heat, but they haven’t done so equally. Those living in select neighbourhoods – the ones deemed to house the most important residents and necessary businesses – have yet to see a single blackout this season. Others haven’t been so lucky. … During the dry season, Phnom Penh suffers electricity outages as water levels in the country’s hydropower dams drop. Although only about 10 per cent of the city’s energy comes from hydropower, the shortfall is enough to cause crippling power cuts to a city already strapped for energy. For instance, the 190-megawatt Kamchay dam in Kampot province is currently only operating at 10 per cent capacity, the EDC official said. …

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013032764725/National/blackouts-tell-tale-of-two-cities.html