In Need of Power, Phnom Penh Blacks Out

Rolling blackouts that plagued Phnom Penh this week were the result of the city’s power supply being unable to meet demand as the country moves into the hot season, officials at state-owned Electricite du Cambodge (EdC) said on Friday. Power Outages rolled over the city this week, and for at least two hours on Friday, businesses and homes in Tuol Kok, Chamkar Mon and Daun Penh district were left without electricity. Thida Roth, an EdC administrator, said power outages were common during this time of year, as people use more energy as temperatures rise. “We need around 300 megawatts per day [for Phnom Penh] but we lack about 50 to 60 megawatts. That is why the electricity is always cutting off in some parts in Phnom Penh,” Ms. Roth said. … Suzuki Hiroshi, chief economist for the Business Research Institute of Cambodia, believes rising fuel prices should encourage the government to supply the grid with cheaper, domestically produced power that does not rely on diesel. …