After a summer marked by power outages lasting up to 15 hours in La Paz and across Baja California Sur, the Comisión Federal de Electricidad has pledged that extended blackouts are over — and that the next time the lights go out, residents will know in advance.
At a Thursday meeting with state officials and business leaders, CFE regional director Gerardo Óscar Santiago Ruiz committed to notifying users through the CFE mobile app when planned or emergency outages are expected, giving homes and businesses time to prepare. He also promised that the multi-hour interruptions that became routine this month will not happen again.
It is a shift the business community has been demanding for weeks. Restaurants, bakeries, ice cream shops and convenience stores reported equipment failures and total product losses during outages that were not only long, but erratic — sometimes cutting power for three minutes, restoring it briefly, then cutting it again.
What Caused the Outages
Santiago Ruiz explained that the interruptions stemmed primarily from technical failures. A malfunctioning circuit breaker at a substation triggered the shutdown of five distribution circuits, which then cascaded into a full substation failure. Restoring service required compliance with safety protocols and equipment repairs, which accounted for the extended downtime.
According to Santiago Ruiz, 80 percent of interruptions in the region are related to vegetation interfering with power lines. CFE is proposing a tree-trimming campaign during the winter months to reduce the frequency of outages tied to obstructions.
Infrastructure Improvements on the Table
The meeting, held in the Governor’s Hall and attended by Governor Víctor Castro Cosío, municipal mayors, academics and business representatives, also addressed longer-term fixes. CFE is evaluating the construction of new substations and upgrades to existing facilities to expand capacity and improve reliability, particularly ahead of hurricane season.
State officials noted that 77 outages were logged across BCS this summer, a figure that includes both brief interruptions and the marathon blackouts that hit La Paz hardest. The utility recently activated a new transformer in Los Cabos to strengthen the grid in the south, though northern communities like Bahía Tortugas and Mulegé also reported recent failures.
CFE ruled out any connection between the upcoming start of the school year and the risk of new outages, stating that the increase in energy demand from returning students would not strain the system.
What It Means for Residents and Second-Home Owners
Lorena Hinojosa Oliva, a regional councilor with CANIRAC, the national restaurant and food industry chamber, said the commitment to app-based alerts is exactly what businesses need. The ability to plan even a few hours ahead could prevent spoilage, protect equipment and allow companies to shift operations or activate backup generators where available.
She noted that most small and mid-sized businesses in La Paz do not have generators, meaning losses during outages have been close to 100 percent for ice cream parlors and bakeries. Larger restaurants and hotels with backup power still faced costs and logistical strain.
For expats and seasonal residents, the new notification system should provide visibility into service interruptions that were previously announced only through local Spanish-language channels or not at all. CFE’s mobile app is available for both iOS and Android.
Santiago Ruiz committed to maintaining open communication with the public and providing estimated restoration times during future incidents. CFE also agreed to work with state and municipal authorities on tree management and infrastructure planning to minimize disruptions going forward.
Whether the promises hold will become clear as fall approaches and the peninsula enters hurricane season. For now, business owners and residents are cautiously optimistic — but few are putting away the candles just yet.
SOURCES:Baja California Sur Gob, El Sudcaliforniano, BCS Noticias.
