The French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin will see scheduled, rotating power outages through Aug. 31, as EDF Archipel Guadeloupe says the local grid is under extreme strain.
EDF Archipel Guadeloupe, the utility serving the island, said electricity production is not keeping up with rising demand. Rather than risk a widespread, uncontrolled collapse of the network, the company has opted for planned load-shedding—rolling outages that will rotate across neighborhoods.
The outages are expected to last up to four hours at a time and can occur during the day, though the schedule is heaviest in the evening. EDF said demand peaks between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., when households return home, cook dinner and run air conditioning in the Caribbean heat. Neighborhoods cited in the published schedule include Sandy Ground, Quartier d’Orléans, Marigot Sud, Baie Orientale and Cul-de-Sac.
A week-by-week rotation designed to prevent a broader collapse
The logic of rolling outages is to spread the burden across all customers instead of concentrating the shortage in a handful of areas. EDF Archipel Guadeloupe has set a precise rotation among neighborhoods so no one area is left without power continuously—while no one is fully spared, either.[1]
This kind of crisis management has precedent in France. During the tight winters of 2022 and 2023, France’s grid operator RTE prepared similar scenarios involving targeted, rotating two-hour outages timed to morning and evening peaks. Saint-Martin is facing the same basic problem—demand outstripping supply—but with the added constraints of an island system with limited flexibility.
EDF’s message: set A/C no lower than 75°F and shift heavy appliances after 10 p.m.
EDF is also asking residents and businesses to cut consumption. The guidance is specific: set air conditioning no lower than 24°C (about 75°F). EDF also urged customers to run the most power-hungry appliances—especially washing machines and ovens—outside peak hours, after 10 p.m. and until 1 a.m., and to switch off standby power wherever possible.
The 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. window is where pressure on the grid is most intense, EDF said, and it is also when rolling outages are most often scheduled.
EDF said broad participation by residents and professionals could directly reduce both the scale and frequency of outages. Every kilowatt saved during peak hours eases strain on the system and can help avoid additional load-shedding.
Why Saint-Martin’s island grid is especially vulnerable
Saint-Martin faces the classic vulnerabilities of overseas island power systems: limited interconnection, reliance on local generation, and demand amplified by a hot climate. When production dips or demand exceeds installed capacity, there is no neighboring grid to absorb the gap, leaving little margin for error.
EDF’s published schedule points to disruptions lasting at least through the end of August. That means residents and businesses will likely need to plan around outages while also trying—when possible—to reduce usage during the most critical hours.
Which neighborhoods are affected—and what it means for businesses
EDF Archipel Guadeloupe has released a detailed, neighborhood-by-neighborhood schedule of planned outage windows through Aug. 31. Sandy Ground, Quartier d’Orléans, Marigot Sud, Baie Orientale and Cul-de-Sac are among the areas specifically listed in the plan.[1]
For businesses—especially restaurants, hotels and retailers—the impact is immediate: plan ahead for outages, adjust operating hours and protect perishable goods. For households, EDF’s priority message is to cut peak-hour consumption even when power is available, to avoid worsening strain across the entire network.
EDF has set Aug. 31 as the target endpoint, but the utility says what happens between now and then will depend heavily on collective consumption. Lower demand during peak weeks, EDF says, should translate into shorter and less frequent outages.
Sources
GUADELOUPE.FRANCEANTILLES.FR — “Saint-Martin : des délestages tournants programmés jusqu’à fin août”
