Paraguay’s Grid Has No Backup. Wednesday Proved It

2026-02-19 - 13:33

Key Points — A detached conductor on a 500 kV transmission line triggered a cascading failure Wednesday that cut electricity to 90% of Paraguay, including the capital Asunción, affecting over 1.4 million users during a brutal heat wave — The blackout knocked out traffic lights across the capital, shut down the national water utility’s pumping