Awwal 27, 1432 H/March 2, 2011, SPA -- Chile will delay the end of its summer time until for three weeks as the country faces an energy squeeze because of drought and high demand, the government said on Wednesday. The country will end its daylight savings time on April 2. "This change in time looks to save a certain amount of energy with better use of sunlight," Reuters quoted Mining and Energy minister Laurence Golborne as saying. "This will save around 22 gigawatt-hours per year." Chile relies heavily on hydroelectric power to meet energy needs in the world's top copper producer, and rain shortages force generators to rely on costly fuel-driven plants, compounding inflation risks in the country's fast-growing economy. The energy squeeze is not, however, expected to affect the mining industry, which is concentrated in the northern part of Chile. The South American country was hit by several blackouts last year after a massive earthquake damaged transmission lines and stations in its south-central region.
