Minister: storm exposed serious gaps in businesses' backup power capacity
Following widespread power outages caused by a severe storm, a minister says many private companies, including telecom operators and fuel retailers, were unprepared to operate independently for long periods without grid power. The government's crisis management council will review the storm's aftermath today.
A recent storm that caused widespread power outages has revealed serious problems with phone communications and fuel availability across the country. The responsible minister noted that some towns had no functioning fuel stations at all, while hospitals and police were only able to keep operating thanks to backup generators.
The official acknowledged that no one had anticipated outages of this scale, nor the mobile communication failures that followed. He described the event as an important lesson, with a detailed review scheduled for today's meeting of the government's crisis management council.
Calls for greater independence
The minister stressed that the crisis showed private businesses need to be better equipped with their own backup generators. This applies especially to telecom companies, whose communication towers should be fitted with equipment capable of running for at least 72 hours without a centralized power supply.
According to the minister, some private companies may be required by the state to secure alternative power sources themselves, while others would be offered incentive mechanisms to encourage such investments.
Contracts with the state, but enforcement in doubt
The minister pointed out that fuel retailers and telecom companies already have contracts with the state to supply services to emergency response agencies, meaning they must be able to function even in difficult conditions. While certain requirements are reportedly already in place for these companies, he suggested that compliance may exist more on paper than in practice.
The politician warned that if a storm of this magnitude struck during cold winter weather, the consequences would be far more severe. He nonetheless praised power grid restoration crews, other emergency services, and local municipalities, saying all involved had worked to the best of their abilities to address the storm's aftermath.
