Complaints continue about power outages in several communities in the O’Higgins region, following the onslaught of the frontal system that hit the region last Thursday night, causing damage to public services and causing discomfort among the general population, to the point that more than 19,000 electricity customers were left without power.
We consulted the Presidential delegate in the O’Higgins region, Fabio López Aguilera, about the situation on Tuesday, to which he reported that during the morning 14 thousand clients were reported throughout the region, which is equivalent to 4% of the total number of users, concentrated in the communes of Rengo, Requínoa, San Vicente and Graneros.
The delegate in O’Higgins insisted that since Saturday, August 3, “it has been a slow process of reconnection, where we have more than 8 thousand clients who have been without electricity for more than 80 hours.”
He reported that between Monday and Tuesday they held meetings with the Superintendence of Electricity and Fuel (SEC) and the Seremi of Energy to pressure the company and thus speed up the process of reconnecting the electric service.
He understands that the process is slow, due to the magnitude of the natural phenomenon, which they were able to see when they went out into the field, but also “we ask them to be transparent about the reconnection deadlines, because they are self-imposed deadlines that they have not been able to meet.”
Fabio López indicated that the reconnection for more than 8 thousand clients was announced for this Tuesday, so he asked that this be expedited. On the other hand, the presidential delegate pointed out that professionals from that government department are in the direction of Hydraulic Works, with personnel from the CGE in order to focus on the rural sanitary services that should be prioritized.
“Fortunately, although it is true that we have 34 rural sanitation systems without electricity, all of them are currently providing the service in some way, with backup generators,” explained López Aguilera, considering it important that, with the georeferencing that the Hydraulic Works Department has given it today, the CGE company “has to focus and prioritize the reconnection of those more than 58 thousand clients who are without drinking water in the O’Higgins region.”
According to the delegate, the communes most affected by the power supply failures are Rancagua, Rengo and Requínoa, which “to date have the largest number of affected customers who have not been able to be reconnected.”
Neighbors file class action lawsuit with SERNAC
Residents and leaders of the Rancagua commune are looking for solutions to the power supply failures in several communities, since they consider that the number of crews that the General Electricity Company (CGE) has is not sufficient to meet the requirements of the region, since “there is no relationship between the territorial space they cover and the crews.”
Pincheira recommended that those who feel affected, file their complaint with SERNAC through the phone number 800 700 100 or through the website www.sernac.cl, with the Unique Code; and once this process is finished, forward the complaint via WhatsApp +56 99628 7869, which will arrive in your email.
He believes that there was a complete lack of coordination between the CGE and municipal crews, since most of the power outages were caused by fallen trees, which is why municipal machinery and personnel were required to cut down the trees that were on the power lines, which is why the representative of the neighborhood leaders blames SENAPREC for “whoever should have made the coordination but did not do so.”
“The time it took the CGE to provide a solution for restoring the electricity supply is unacceptable, regardless of the characteristics of the effects of the frontal system,” said Edinson Pincheira, adding that a company from such a gigantic consortium, with such simple responses, was overwhelmed by the emergency.
He concluded by saying that the purpose of the class action lawsuit is to seek compensation that goes beyond the material valuation of energy.
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