PN blames power cuts on lack of investment and population growth

The Nationalist Party has blamed widespread power cuts across Malta and Gozo on what it described as years of insufficient investment in the electricity distribution system and the government’s failure to plan for population growth.

The PN’s statement came after residents in numerous localities across Malta and Gozo experienced power cuts on Wednesday. Enemalta said the outage stemmed from an interruption at one of the LNG plants.

In Malta, affected areas included Qormi, Żebbuġ, Żabbar, Żejtun, Attard, St Paul’s Bay, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, Balzan, Birkirkara, Birżebbuġa, Għaxaq, Ħamrun, Iklin, Kalkara, Marsa, Marsaskala, Marsaxlokk, Mellieħa, Mosta, Msida, Santa Venera, San Ġwann, Swieqi and Siġġiewi among others.

In Gozo, residents in Victoria, Munxar, Nadur, Qala, Fontana, Għajnsielem, Għarb, Għasri, Sannat, Xagħra, Xewkija and Żebbuġ were also affected.

The PN referred to comments made by Prime Minister Robert Abela on Tuesday, when he said he did not believe population growth affected energy demand.

The party’s energy spokesperson Mark Anthony Sammut said this position helped explain what it described as a lack of investment in Malta’s electricity distribution infrastructure over the years.

It also criticised Abela and Energy Minister Miriam Dalli, accusing the government of turning Malta and Gozo into a “Christmas tree” through a failure to adequately address the country’s energy infrastructure needs.

The PN said the latest power cuts showed the consequences of failing to plan for population growth and invest in the infrastructure required to support it.

“Yet Robert Abela continues to insist that unplanned population growth — and that the Labour Government’s failure to plan and invest in the infrastructure needed to cater for it — has nothing to do with the problem,” the party said.

“Our country deserves a government that is focused on the challenges it faces,” it added.