Power Grid

Fourteen of Honduras's twenty electrical circuits with the highest losses are concentrated in the Sula Valley, together accounting for 2.09 billion lempiras in the first half of 2026, a problem experts say must be tackled as a priority to stabilize the national power system.

In the first six months of 2026, Cortés—Honduras's industrial heartland—lost 3.5 billion lempiras (about $140 million) to electricity theft, equipment losses, and technical faults, representing nearly 40% of the nation's 8.8 billion lempira total energy loss.

The state power utility ENEE has contracted 2,073 megawatts of reliable capacity but faces a projected demand of 2,289 megawatts in 2027, requiring it to secure additional energy to prevent blackouts during peak periods from April through June.

The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean approved a $177 million sovereign loan to fund a new 150-kilometer transmission line in the center-south region, directly benefiting about 865,000 residents in Francisco Morazán, El Paraíso, and Olancho departments.

A new electrical control center with 79 automated devices, built with $13.5 million in South Korean aid, began operations in central-southern Honduras to detect faults and accelerate power restoration across the region.

Honduras's electrical system operates near capacity with insufficient reserves to handle sudden failures, said CREE commissioner Leonardo Deras, noting that Honduras lost 1,800 of 2,400 megawatts during this week's regional outage—more than neighboring countries.

Honduras's grid faces a 40-megawatt deficit between 6–10 p.m. as peak demand hits 2,130 MW while supply tops out at 2,050 MW, worsened by solar shutdowns at dusk and canceled regional imports.

The national electricity utility will deploy 148 maintenance crews across Honduras to reduce power outages through tree trimming, line inspection, and meter work, with plans for a second contract covering 200 additional crews and cranes.

Energy analyst Salomón Ordóñez says Honduras's state power utility requires roughly L50 billion (about $2 billion) to upgrade distribution and transmission infrastructure, with private investment possible once electrical-sector reforms are approved.

Solar power covers daytime demand with about 450 megawatts, but evenings bring outage risk as solar output drops and fuel-logistics problems limit thermal plant capacity, the National Dispatch Center director says.