Massive Power Outage Hits Buenos Aires, Affecting Nearly One Million Amid Heatwave

Widespread Disruption Across Metropolitan Area

A significant power outage struck the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) on January 15, 2026, leaving close to one million users without electricity. The disruption, which occurred amidst an intense heatwave, was attributed to a technical failure at the Morón transformer substation, operated by the company Edenor. This incident led to the disconnection of four 220 kV high-voltage transmission lines, causing immediate and widespread impact across the region.

The failure resulted in an estimated loss of approximately 3,000 megawatts (MW) of load, representing nearly 15% of Argentina's total electricity demand. The blackout severely affected daily life, causing traffic lights to cease functioning, forcing businesses to close, and impacting public transport, including the subway system.

Underinvestment Blamed for Grid Fragility

The large-scale power cut has once again brought to the forefront long-standing concerns regarding the state of Argentina's electricity infrastructure. Experts and former officials point to chronic underinvestment in the power grid and transmission capacity as a primary contributing factor to such incidents.

Paulo Farina, former Undersecretary of Electric Power, emphasized that the episode 'once again highlights the consequences of inadequate long-term planning and the lack of concrete action to improve grid stability.' He noted that both Edenor and Edesur, another major distributor also affected by the interconnected system, 'should be making significant investments' but lack sufficient transformer substations. Farina further stated that Argentina's problem is not technological failure but 'chronic underinvestment in electricity infrastructure,' unlike recent blackouts in other countries.

Systemic Challenges and Future Outlook

The fragility of the Buenos Aires power system, particularly its vulnerability during heatwaves, has been a recurring issue. Transmission expansion plans have existed for years but have consistently been postponed. Even if tackled immediately, such investments typically require at least three years to complete.

The incident also occurs in a context where tariff adjustments have been implemented, but critics argue these have not translated into visible improvements in service quality. The Argentine government is reportedly seeking 'market solutions' to upgrade its high-voltage power lines, aiming to attract private investment for infrastructure projects given that public funding for new projects is not currently an option. This approach includes exploring tenders and deregulation to encourage private sector participation in strengthening the grid.