Ukraine is set to enforce hourly power outages across all regions on the evening of March 23, despite a reported decrease in overall electricity consumption. The national energy company, Ukrenergo, announced that these measures will be in effect from 5 PM to 10 PM for both residential and industrial consumers.
Ukrenergo indicated that the outages are a response to the impact of previous extensive Russian attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure. The company advised consumers to check the official pages of local energy suppliers for specific outage schedules.
As of the morning of March 23, new outages were reported in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Kirovohrad regions, primarily due to drone attacks and artillery shelling in frontline areas. Emergency restoration efforts have begun in regions where safety conditions permit.
Despite these challenges, electricity consumption has shown a downward trend. Data from Ukrenergo indicated that as of 9:30 AM on March 23, consumption was 1.4% lower than the same time on the previous working day, March 20.
This reduction in consumption is attributed to clear weather conditions across much of Ukraine, which has enhanced the efficiency of residential solar power installations, thereby decreasing reliance on the national grid.
Ukrenergo has urged the public to use electricity judiciously, recommending that high-energy activities be scheduled during peak solar power generation hours, specifically between 11 AM and 3 PM. The company also advised against using multiple high-power appliances simultaneously during the evening hours of 5 PM to 10 PM.
Ukraine will implement scheduled power outages on March 23 due to the impact of previous attacks on its energy infrastructure, despite a decrease in electricity consumption. The national energy company, Ukrenergo, has urged consumers to manage their electricity use carefully during peak hours.