Massive Power Outage Plunges Cuba into Darkness Again
Once again, Cuba finds itself grappling with a widespread power outage, leaving millions of residents in the dark. On Friday night, a major blackout hit the island, affecting the capital, Havana, and several other provinces. The Ministry of Energy and Mines reported that the outage began around 8:15 p.m. local time, originating from the Diezmero substation on the outskirts of Havana. This failure resulted in a significant loss of electricity in western Cuba, ultimately leading to the collapse of the entire national grid.
Authorities immediately began efforts to restore power, announcing via social media that teams were working tirelessly to bring the system back online. However, for hours, the streets of Havana were eerily dark, with only a few sources of light coming from hotels equipped with generators. Reports from residents across the country, including in Guantánamo, Artemisa, Santiago de Cuba, and Santa Clara, confirmed that the blackout extended far beyond the capital.
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According to the state-run Electric Union, prior warnings had been issued about energy shortages, citing a peak demand of around 3,250 megawatts with a shortfall of 1,380 megawatts. This deficit meant that nearly 42% of Cuba’s power system was already strained before the latest outage. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Over the past several months, the island has experienced multiple national blackouts, with three major ones occurring in late 2024 alone. These recurring failures highlight the fragility of Cuba’s aging electrical grid, which is increasingly vulnerable due to fuel shortages and deteriorating infrastructure.
The impact of these outages goes beyond mere inconvenience. Electricity is essential for everyday life, powering water pumps, cooking appliances, and medical equipment. The situation exacerbates an already dire economic crisis, as the country struggles with shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, alongside rising inflation.
Despite efforts to stabilize the energy sector, Cuba remains highly dependent on outdated thermoelectric plants, most of which were built in the 1980s and 1990s. Frequent breakdowns have forced the government to rely on floating power plants leased from Turkey, but even these temporary solutions struggle to meet the demand. Recognizing the urgent need for reform, authorities have announced plans to accelerate the development of solar energy, with ambitions to generate 1,200 megawatt-hours by the end of the year and expand renewable energy sources to cover 37% of the country’s electricity needs by 2030.
For now, however, the Cuban people are left to endure yet another night of uncertainty, as they wait for the lights to come back on. The repeated power failures raise serious questions about the future of Cuba’s energy security and whether long-term solutions can be implemented before the next inevitable blackout.
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