On January 16, 2024, Montevideo, Uruguay, experienced a widespread power outage, locally known as an “apagón.” The outage, affecting the entire city and parts of the surrounding metropolitan area, plunged homes, businesses, and infrastructure into darkness, disrupting daily life for hundreds of thousands of residents.
The blackout commenced abruptly in the late afternoon, around 4:00 PM local time, catching many off guard. Traffic lights failed, causing significant congestion on the city’s already busy streets. Businesses, especially those reliant on refrigeration or electronic point-of-sale systems, were forced to temporarily close. Mobile phone service was significantly impacted due to overloaded networks and failing cell towers.
The state-owned electricity company, UTE (Administración Nacional de Usinas y Trasmisiones Eléctricas), immediately initiated efforts to determine the cause and restore power. Initial investigations pointed to a failure within the high-voltage transmission network supplying the capital. The precise nature of the failure, whether due to equipment malfunction, a surge in demand caused by high temperatures, or another unforeseen event, remained unclear in the immediate aftermath.
UTE deployed technical teams to various substations and key infrastructure points across the city to isolate the problem and reroute power where possible. Public announcements were made via social media and radio, urging citizens to remain calm and conserve energy once power was restored to prevent further strain on the grid. Authorities emphasized the importance of avoiding unnecessary travel to ease congestion and allow emergency vehicles to navigate efficiently.
The outage sparked a wave of frustration and inconvenience. Many residents were forced to navigate without air conditioning in the sweltering summer heat. Supermarkets and convenience stores struggled to cope with the surge in demand for bottled water, ice, and batteries. Hospitals and emergency services, while equipped with backup generators, faced challenges maintaining full capacity. The outage also affected internet access, further isolating individuals and hindering communication.
Power was gradually restored to different sectors of the city over the course of several hours. Priority was given to essential services such as hospitals, water treatment plants, and critical infrastructure. By late evening, most areas of Montevideo had regained electricity, although some pockets remained without power for longer. UTE continued to work throughout the night to fully stabilize the grid and prevent any recurrence.
The “apagón” in Montevideo highlighted the vulnerability of modern urban centers to disruptions in essential infrastructure. While the immediate crisis was resolved, the incident prompted renewed scrutiny of the reliability and resilience of the country’s electricity grid. Calls for investment in infrastructure upgrades and improved preventative maintenance were amplified in the days following the outage. The event served as a stark reminder of the dependence on a stable power supply and the need for robust contingency plans to mitigate the impact of future disruptions.