A modern society’s dependence upon electricity hardly needs any explanation. When we experience a countrywide power blackout traffic lights do not work, creating chaos on the roads. Hospitals have to make do with barely adequate back-up supply, possibly putting the lives of patients at risk. Industry comes to a standstill costing businesses substantial economic losses.

The country has experienced significant blackouts in the last few weeks at the peak of the sales season for many businesses. What is perhaps even more worrying is that Enemalta warned we have to get used to possibly more blackouts in the coming weeks until the damaged interconnector cable linking our electricity grid to Sicily is repaired.

Like every commodity, electricity links producers’ supply with consumers’ demand. A continuous balance between supply and demand is the prime responsibility of any producer entrusted to satisfy customers’ needs.

The private suppliers of electricity have undoubtedly failed in their obligation to customers. This failure raises some questions that need to be answered by the government, which some years ago decided to partly privatise the generation of electric power on the pretext of increasing efficiency.

Why have Enemalta’s back-up facilities not guaranteed consistent electricity availability to all households and industry? So much political rhetoric ushered in the new investment in gas-generated electricity by Electrogas in 2013 that many had prematurely believed that the days of countrywide power outages were over.

Enemata now tells us we are still critically dependent on a vulnerable underwater interconnector that can apparently be damaged by a ship using its anchor in a busy shipping lane between Malta and Sicily. Enemalta has so far given some explanation about the reasons for the recent blackouts. It did well to prepare consumers about the possibility of more interruptions until the interconnector cable is repaired. However, it now needs to explain what plans exist to reduce the loss-of-supply risk to the barest minimum and for the shortest possible time. The country’s economic and social well-being depend on a fully reliable energy supply.

The government needs to revise its strategy on how to guarantee the most reliable, efficient and cost-effective supply of electricity to consumers. The first indications are that the privatisation of electricity generation to a private consortium has not met the expectations of consumers.

Quite apart from the dubious process that was used to choose the supplier in 2013, the government now needs to reassure consumers that privatising the supply of electricity was in their best interests. Hopefully, the revision of plans to guarantee a fully reliable supply of electricity to all users will not once again be downgraded to partisan political debate.

Enemalta, as the distributor of power, needs to define the technical specifications that are required so as to ensure that supply and demand for electricity are continuously balanced with the lowest possible risk of countrywide blackouts. 

The government needs to consider how to define the best economic strategy to ensure that the generation of constant and reliable electricity is driven by social and broad economic priorities rather than the narrow investment interests of a private consortium. Significant electricity shortfalls are a risk factor that no modern economy can tolerate.

Change is needed for the present framework of electricity supply and distribution to minimise this risk.