Panama's energy imports grow 18-fold

Panama has increased its energy imports from Central America 18 times, or 1,700 percent, in the past three years, according to government data.

From January to July 2012, the country's energy imports reached 9.9 million kilowatts, a figure that jumped to 67.8 million in 2013 and 178 million in the same period this year.

"The growth in energy imports is due to a couple of periods of scarcity at the end of the summer," said Panama's Energy Minister Víctor Urrutia.


Source (in Spanish): La Estrella