Demand for electricity in Colombia rose 1.2% in October from the same month a year earlier, XM, a unit of state-controlled electricity grid Interconexion Electrica SA, said in a report.
Electricity demand in October rose to 4,737 gigawatt-hours from 4,681 gwh in October 2008 and demand in the first ten months of the year gained 1.5% from the same period in 2008 to 45,331 gwh, the report said.
In September the demand had increased 3% on year.
Electricity demand is an indicator of how the country’s industries are performing, according to analysts.
Colombia’s gross domestic product contracted 0.5% in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2008. The country’s GDP had already contracted in the fourth quarter of 2008 compared with the same period a year ago.
ISA owns 80% of Colombia’s total transmission network and all of its high-voltage capacity. Some areas aren’t part of ISA’s network, such as the Amazon region. (Dow Jones)
