Bolivia Introduces Daylight Saving Time (DST)

Published 23-Aug-2011

Bolivia is likely to implement daylight saving time (DST) from this year onwards. According to the deputy minister of electricity and alternative energy, Roberto Peredo, clocks will be forwarded by one hour between September and March every year. The measure is yet to be formalized.

A clock tower in Sucre, Bolivia

©iStockphoto.com/Lauzla

High-flying goals

The implementation of DST in Bolivia would save up to 30 megawatts of electricity, Peredo announced in a press conference on Monday, August 22, 2011. The plan is to save energy by “shifting the demand from peak hours during the summer”, Peredo added.

He emphasized that the planned measure did not indicate that the South American country was experiencing an energy crisis, as is the case in Chile. However, media reports indicate that recent blackouts point to an impending shortage of electricity supply in the Andean nation.

Mixed messages

Jose Luis Gutierrez, minister of hydrocarbon and energy, claimed that the measure is supported by “80 percent of the Bolivian population”. However, critical voices abound. Ruben Muñoz from the Universidad Mayor de San Andres stated that it is not advisable to implement DST in a country like Bolivia where the yearly variation in day lengths is less than two hours.

Bolivia observes Bolivia Time (BOT), which is 4 hours behind UTC. The country has not used DST since 1932.

timeanddate.com will provide updates on this and other time zone news as events unfold.

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