Imports averaged about 301.5 megawatts from August 23rd through 27th and reached about 380 megawatts on August 28th, while Mazar remains well above its critical level.

Ecuador sharply increased electricity imports from Colombia during the final week of August as the country approached the dry season that historically puts its hydroelectric system under the greatest strain.

Between August 23rd and August 27th, imports averaged about 301.5 megawatts, and by 5 p.m. on August 28th the daily average had risen to about 380 megawatts. Ecuador’s interconnection with Colombia can carry roughly 450 megawatts, meaning the country was using a large share of the available cross-border capacity as August ended.

The purchases resumed on August 5th after Colombia had suspended electricity sales to Ecuador during a trade dispute earlier in the year. Their return gives Ecuador an important source of supply before the September-to-March period when reduced rainfall in key hydroelectric basins can increase the risk of energy shortages.

The change does not mean blackouts are imminent. It does show that imported electricity has again become a significant part of the country’s strategy for protecting reservoir levels and meeting demand.

Mazar is still healthy, but falling

The Mazar reservoir, one of the most important gauges for Ecuador’s hydroelectric system, remained well above its critical level at the end of August. Its elevation fell from about 2,150.7 meters on August 17th to about 2,147.2 meters on August 28th, still far above the roughly 2,115-meter level considered critical.

That cushion matters because Ecuador’s electricity system is heavily dependent on hydropower. Buying electricity from Colombia when it is available can allow operators to meet part of current demand without drawing reservoirs down as quickly before the driest months.

CENACE data also show that imports are already substantial in the monthly balance. Through August 27th, Ecuador had imported more than 68,000 megawatt-hours during the month. The system operator labels its short-term figures preliminary because they are compiled from real-time operational data and can later be adjusted.

Demand is another source of pressure: peak national demand reached about 5,625 megawatts on August 13th, well above the 2026 average. The larger concern is the gap that could emerge under a difficult dry-season scenario. Energy authorities have estimated that a severe September 2026-to-March 2027 hydrological period could leave the system short by as much as 1,300 megawatts at some moments. Colombia’s 450-megawatt interconnection would cover only part of a gap of that size.

Imports carry a cost

Colombian electricity is not free backup. The price varies with Colombia’s own market, hydrology and demand. Market prices have risen in recent months, which means heavier reliance on imports can become an important public-finance issue even when the purchases are preferable to blackouts.

The most useful way to read the current surge is therefore as an insurance strategy rather than evidence of a new crisis. Ecuador has water stored at Mazar, additional domestic generation is expected to enter service, and cross-border imports are available again. At the same time, demand remains high and the system is entering the part of the year when reservoir management becomes more important.

For households and businesses, the key numbers to watch over the next several weeks are Mazar’s level, the amount of Colombian electricity available, the entry of promised new generation and any change in the government’s projected dry-season deficit.

Ecuador begins this dry season from a stronger position than during the 2024 blackout crisis. But the jump in Colombian purchases shows that operators are not relying on reservoir levels alone. They are already using imports aggressively to preserve flexibility before the most difficult months arrive.