Uruguay limits night sports events due to energy crisis

Uruguay’s Energy and Industry Minister, Jorge Lepra, has ordered limits to night-time sports events in a letter published in the Wednesday’s Uruguayan newspapers, due to an energy supply crisis suffered there.

Lepra told the Uruguayan Football Associtation (AUF) that they must take emergency measures to save energy, because of the supply risks. The AUF immediately moved the Penarol verus Nacional derby to Monday afternoon.

The government published an energy saving plan in April, which is obligatory for the public sector and volutary for the private sector. But it has already said that it had not beaten the electricity generation crisis, caused by hydroelectric dam problems, addign that will have to cut supplies to consumers.

Sports minister, Hector Lescano, said that the Uruguayan Basketball Federation will meet to seek a solution in coming days, but warned that it will be more difficult to reduce electricity consumption for what is essentially an indoor game.

Xinhua