Break‑in Halts Haiti’s Largest Hydroelectric Plant, Plunging Regions into Blackout

Intruders forced Haiti’s Peligre Dam offline, slicing its 54 MW output and plunging central regions into blackout. EDH condemns the breach and urges rapid security measures as communities, already hit by gang blockades, contend with total power loss.

Haiti’s flagship hydroelectric plant at Peligre—responsible for roughly 30% of the nation’s electricity—was brought to a standstill this week when intruders stormed the dam, halting all generation. The state power company, Électricité d’Haïti (EDH), decried the event as a “hateful act” that threatens essential services in areas still reliant on hydropower.

Residents of nearby Mirebalais, frustrated by armed‑gang control of roads and basic utilities, reportedly led the incursion, demanding the facility be shut down in protest. Similar unrest in September 2024 had already damaged critical transformers, underscoring the plant’s growing vulnerability amid Haiti’s security vacuum.

With only about half the country connected to a functioning grid, the shutdown has left rural towns and peri‑urban neighborhoods in prolonged darkness—disrupting water treatment, healthcare centers, and small businesses that depend on consistent power. Meanwhile, fuel shortages caused by gang blockades have choked off backup generators and stalled transport, deepening the nation’s energy crisis.

EDH has appealed for rapid deployment of security forces to safeguard its staff and infrastructure, warning that extended outages could spiral into a broader humanitarian catastrophe. As Haiti grapples with escalating gang violence and crippling supply chain disruptions, restoring power at Peligre is now seen as a critical first step toward stabilizing the country’s fragile energy network.

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