Judith Pena | April 25, 2023
Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica SA (ETESA) called on the community in general to avoid burning grasslands, given the effects that this bad practice produces, a concern that increases when it is carried out in the vicinity of electricity transmission towers and substations.
They emphasize that they have received reports of these burns in areas very close to the electricity transmission lines, a situation that puts the national electricity system at risk, for which ETESA reiterates its concern and calls for attention to prevent the burning of grasslands, since towers and substations are exposed to flames, increasing the risk of blackouts.
According to the ETESA Manager, Carlos Mosquera Castillo, last weekend the Panama Fire Department attended a plant mass fire near the Panama II substation located in the Rana de Oro sector of the Pedregal township, in the capital city. This situation jeopardized the continuity of the electrical system.
It should be noted that ETESA, together with the Panama Fire Department, maintains the “No to burning” campaign, whose objective is to raise awareness and warn citizens of the consequences derived from burning grasslands.
This practice is a crime punishable by Panamanian legislation, since they affect the forest ecosystem, endangering the lives of people residing in the affected area.
The company warns of the danger generated by these burning of grasslands, when they occur in sectors adjacent to the grid, lines and electrical transmission substations, since they can affect these facilities causing damage and blackouts, harming Panamanian society and the country’s economy .
