Venezuela's 2026 power rationing: the electricity the oil target consumes
The government activated its electricity- and water-saving plan for the second time this year, and the same day promised 4,800 megawatts of thermal generation by December. The variable neither measure quantifies: producing crude consumes 40 to 45 kilowatt-hours per barrel, drawn from the same grid being rationed.
On August 2 the government activated its electricity- and water-saving plan for the second time this year, this time ahead of a severe El Niño episode forecast for August through October. The same day it committed to bringing 4,800 megawatts of thermal generation online before December. Both measures coexist with a third figure neither of them mentions: the official oil production target for year-end requires electricity from the same grid now being rationed.
Producing crude consumes electricity in volumes that rarely enter the public discussion. Energy analyst Nelson Hernández places the grid electricity-intensity index within the international range of 40 to 45 kilowatt-hours per barrel, and documents the concrete effect in Venezuela: when output rose from 823,000 to 988,000 barrels per day during the first quarter, the increase required some 300 additional megawatts from the public system.
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