Business Leaders Urge CFE to Boost Prevention After Substation Fire in Cancun

Cancun, Quintana Roo — A fire early Wednesday at a Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) substation in Cancun has prompted business leaders to call on the state-owned utility to strengthen preventive measures and respond more quickly to power outages that hurt families and the economy.

The blaze broke out around 2 a.m. at the CFE facility in Supermanzana 96, damaging a transformer at the Canek (CEK) substation and cutting power to homes and businesses in several parts of the city. CFE said it restored electricity to all affected users by about 10 a.m. after emergency repairs.

Javier Olvera Silveira, president of the Caribbean Business Coordinating Council (CCE), said blackouts continue to plague residents and businesses year after year. He urged CFE not only to ramp up preventive maintenance but also to speed up its response to outages.

“If you’re in that area and can’t open your store that day because there’s no power, you lose that day’s sales,” Olvera said. “It’s very hard to estimate the losses because it depends on where it happens and who is affected.”

He added that CFE faces major challenges in providing stable power to a state that is growing rapidly. “The priority must be to address the root cause of blackouts, since many cases hurt the economic activity of a state with a strong business presence,” he said.