Montenegro’s energy minister said the shutdown was caused by a sudden increase in power consumption brought on by high temperatures, and by the heat itself overloading systems. “This was just waiting to happen in this heat,” Gentiana, a 24-year-old student in Montenegro’s capital Podgorica, told Reuters. Suppliers in the four countries said they started restoring supply by mid-afternoon and power was largely back by the evening. Power in Albania was restored within half an hour, but the country remained at a high risk of further shutdowns as power usage and heat levels were still high, he said. Western Balkan nations have seen a boom in solar energy investment, meant to ease a power crisis that had threatened a shift away from coal.

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Persons: ”, Sasa Mujovic, Belinda Balluku, Balluku Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Suppliers, Air, HRT, Albanian Energy, North Macedonia’s Energy Regulatory Commission Locations: Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, Croatia’s, Balkans, Montenegro’s, Podgorica, European, Bosnia’s, Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Mostar, Croatian, Split, Greece, Croatia