Elections done, crisis back

TIRANA, Feb.20 – the end of the electoral process is due to bring back the long dark hours of power cuts in the majority of Albania’s cities. Long power cuts of 8 hours have started in the southern city of Fier and will start to be implemented again throughout the country. The Emergency group created by the Ministry of Economy, trade and energy related to the energy crisis has confirmed that since production and import levels have not changed much in the positive direction power cuts are back on the agenda. Andi Beli, executive head of the state monopoly KESH which runs the energy system, said that the promise of supplying electricity to the electoral centers until the last vote was counted was kept by his corporation. This statement has been contested since many problems related to power supply were noticed in some of the electoral zones.
The Fireza lake is still at low levels given the lack of rains, and stand sat 261 meters. Imports and local production are both at the general level of 10 million kW/h. the schedule of the power cuts is expected to bring back 4-6 hours of energy lack in the main urban areas and almost 12 hours for rural ones. The emergency group has most of the rights in taking decisions related to energy in this period. The order to supply 24 hours the electoral center was given by Prime Minister Berisha and contested by experts who said that the Fierza Lake could not sustain it. Specialists used the Drini cascade in the other hydropower utilities along the river bed avoiding thus the collapse of the main power plant.