WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Chamber of Commerce and Industry has expressed serious concern about the recurring power outages on the island, warning that an unreliable electricity supply is creating direct costs, operational risks and uncertainty for businesses. The Chamber is calling for a concrete, transparent and time-bound action plan to structurally improve the reliability of Curaçao’s electricity system.
According to the Chamber, power interruptions have a significant impact on households, but the consequences for businesses extend directly into the wider economy. A stable and reliable electricity supply is considered an essential condition for a properly functioning economy.
Repeated outages result in lost productivity, interrupted business operations, damage to equipment and inventory, lost revenue and additional expenses. Companies that depend heavily on digital systems, refrigeration, production processes, electronic payments and other critical infrastructure are particularly vulnerable.
The Chamber stressed that the economic damage does not end when electricity is restored. Businesses may still face lost working hours, disrupted services, missed sales, repair costs and potentially permanent damage to equipment or inventory.
Repeated outages could also have broader consequences for Curaçao's investment climate. According to the Chamber, persistent uncertainty about electricity supply could undermine confidence among customers, investors and international companies considering Curaçao as a location for investment or business operations.
This is particularly concerning for an economy seeking to strengthen its competitiveness and attract new investment. The Chamber said businesses must be able to rely on essential infrastructure, especially in sectors that contribute to employment, exports, tourism, services and economic diversification.
The organization acknowledged that electricity generation and distribution are technically complex and that defective generators, difficulties obtaining replacement parts and changing weather conditions can put pressure on operations.
However, the Chamber argues that those challenges make sufficient reserve and emergency generating capacity even more important.
“Explanations of incidents provide context, but cannot replace a structural solution when interruptions recur or are foreseeable,” the Chamber said.
It therefore wants attention to shift beyond repairing individual failures toward addressing the underlying vulnerabilities of the electricity system, including the reliability of infrastructure, available generating capacity and investments required to prepare the system for future demand.
The Chamber also addressed Curaçao's transition toward renewable energy. While recognizing the opportunities offered by a more sustainable energy system, it stressed that the transition cannot come at the expense of reliability.
Sustainability, affordability and security of supply should therefore be treated as equally important objectives.
The Chamber is calling on Aqualectra and other parties involved in Curaçao's energy sector to urgently present a joint action plan. The plan should explain what short-term measures will reduce the frequency and duration of outages, how sufficient reserve and emergency capacity will be guaranteed, which structural investments will be implemented and when they will be completed.
Businesses and the public should also receive timely and clear information about progress and possible electricity interruptions.
In addition, the Chamber wants the economic impact of power outages to be systematically monitored. Establishing the scale and nature of the damage would make it easier to determine which investments and policy measures are economically justified.
The organization said it is prepared to contribute the experiences and concerns of Curaçao's business community to that process.
“A reliable electricity supply forms the foundation of a healthy and resilient economy,” the Chamber stated, adding that Curaçao cannot afford to have businesses facing structural uncertainty about whether electricity will be available.
The statement comes after several days of electricity shortages and rotating power cuts across Curaçao. Aqualectra has attributed the recent problems to reduced conventional generating capacity combined with periods of weak wind production. One of four generating units that had been out of service has since returned to production, improving the short-term outlook, although three units remain unavailable.