San Francisco Frontiers - Seeking light in dark times four years after Myanmar coup

"I need power supply to use in night, to use computer for my business and to use for internet connection," the 64-year-old told AFP at the country's biggest annual solar exhibition.

Power outages are common in his township, a result of rolling blackouts scheduled by the junta government as it battles for control of areas seized by rebel groups.

Aung Bo Bo, another Yangon resident, bemoaned the power cut timetable that can see houses plunged into darkness 12 hours a day.

He has to wake up at midnight to cook and pump water when the electricity comes on, he told AFP.

"We're getting no sleep," he said.

Yin Kay Thwe, an office worker in Yangon, said the situation is especially difficult for families with children.

It would be better for power cuts to happen during office hours, she told AFP, not in the evenings until past midnight.

"How can we live with that?" she said.

- 'Struggling' daily -

Myanmar is mired in a civil war that has killed thousands, triggered when the military ousted the elected civilian government of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi four years ago Saturday.

The Southeast Asian nation has oil, gas and coal reserves as well as strong hydroelectric and solar potential, but is crippled by political instability, investor flight, poor policy and a lack of infrastructure.

A Ministry of Electric Power report from January said that of the 7,000 megawatts (MW) of daily installed capacity, in normal times the power system could distribute around 4,000 MW.

Average daily electricity production has plummeted to 2,200 MW, it said, with only half of that being distributed.

The junta has blamed the worsening outages on rising gas prices and attacks on infrastructure by anti-coup fighters.

Around a third of firms surveyed by the World Bank in April last year reported power outages as their primary challenge, up from 12 percent in September 2023.

Only 48 percent of the population had access to electricity in late 2024, according to the UN -- the lowest rate in Asia.

And the crisis is having a major impact on both the economy and civilians' well-being.

"We can't cook with charcoal or wood in Yangon's small rooms. So we only rely on gas for cooking but... we also face gas shortages," Yin Kay Thwe said.

"We are struggling with cooking everyday."

- 'Energy from nature' -

The uncertain outlook has seen a surge in the use of alternative energy sources, particularly solar -- much of which comes from Myanmar's northern neighbour, China, the world's top producer of the renewable.

"Long-term solutions are being explored through renewable energy sources such as hydropower, solar, and wind, in alignment with the country's natural resources," the Ministry of Electric Power's report said.

A World Bank report found that 17 percent of Myanmar firms surveyed had invested in off-grid solar power.

Zaw Htay Aung, the director of Sun Solar Myanmar Company, said he has seen a rise in the number of households installing solar panels as electricity and fuel shortages bite.

"People follow the solar energy trend these days because solar is more convenient to solve electricity shortages in Myanmar," he told AFP, adding that home solar panels can be installed from around $570.

Resident Aung Kyo Gyi encourages others to switch to solar power to make it through the dark times.

"It's not noisy and we use the energy from nature," he said.

"Perhaps solar panels are expensive than others at first but it's way better for long term."

N.Flores--SFF