Argentina will limit the supply of natural gas for industrial use as residents braving a recent cold snap are using more energy to heat their homes, the South American nation’s energy secretariat said on Wednesday.

The coldest weather in 30 years has created record demand, with the National Gas Regulatory Entity (Enargas) expecting Wednesday’s usage to be 25% higher than the same day last year.

“Distributors… were forced to interrupt supplies to CNG (compressed natural gas) contracts and industries,” the secretariat said.

The government of President Javier Milei, which slashed energy subsidies as part of its public spending cuts, blamed the situation on the lack of infrastructure investment in previous years.

In Argentina, as well as in its neighbors Chile and Uruguay, the cold weather caused unexpected snowfall in some areas.
Source: Reuters