Cuba Faces Unprecedented Blackout Amid Energy Crisis
Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy announced early Saturday that Cuba had managed to restore 500 megawatts of energy to its electrical grid. He shared the update on X, revealing that “several substations in the west are now back online.” The Minister further indicated that two thermoelectric power plants have resumed operations, with plans for two additional plants to come online within the next few hours.
The Antonio Guiteras plant, which experienced a significant failure on Friday, had a major impact on the national energy system. While Cuba possesses several other power generation facilities, it remains unclear whether these are operational at this time.
Currently, there is no official timeline provided for when the widespread blackout will be resolved. This event marks a significant escalation in the ongoing energy crisis that has plagued Cuba, especially given that the nation is accustomed to power outages amid its deepening economic difficulties. Notably, Friday’s energy collapse is unprecedented in modern history, rivaling only incidents caused by severe hurricanes, such as one that occurred in 2022.
In response to the crisis, the Cuban government has implemented a series of emergency measures aimed at reducing electricity consumption. These measures include:
- Suspending classes in schools
- Shutting down select state-owned enterprises
- Cancelling nonessential services
Officials reported that approximately 1.64 gigawatts of power went offline during peak usage hours, which accounted for nearly half of the total demand at that time. Local authorities attributed the initial outage, which began on a smaller scale on Thursday, to increased energy consumption from small and medium-sized businesses, as well as residential air conditioning units. The situation worsened due to breakdowns in aging thermoelectric plants that have suffered from inadequate maintenance, compounded by a shortage of fuel necessary for some facilities to operate.
In light of the current crisis, the government is also considering changes to electricity pricing structures for small and medium-sized enterprises, which have seen a rise in numbers since their authorization by the communist government in 2021.
