Cuba Faces Massive Blackouts Affecting 64% of Island

Cuba is bracing for another day of extensive power outages, with projections indicating that 64% of the island will be without electricity concurrently during peak evening hours. This situation is a stark indicator of the nation's deepening energy crisis.

The crisis, ongoing since mid-2024, has intensified significantly since January due to what the UN has deemed internationally unlawful oil blockades by the United States. The Cuban government itself acknowledges the "critical" and "extremely tense" state of its National Electroenergetic System (SEN). In recent weeks, blackouts in Havana have sometimes exceeded 30 hours daily, fueling social discontent and leading to protests like "cacerolazos" (pot-banging demonstrations) in various neighborhoods.

The state-run Unión Eléctrica (UNE) forecasts a generation capacity of 1,160 megawatts (MW) against a peak demand of 3,100 MW for Sunday. This deficit of 1,940 MW is expected to result in 1,970 MW being disconnected to prevent uncontrolled blackouts. Compounding the issue, ten of the country's sixteen thermoelectric generation units are inoperable due to breakdowns or maintenance. Additionally, 106 distributed generation plants are offline due to fuel shortages, alongside two floating plants and two fuel oil plants.

Experts point to a combination of chronic underfunding, an obsolete energy system requiring decades of investment, and the U.S. oil blockade as the primary causes. Cuba requires approximately 100,000 barrels of oil daily, with only 40,000 produced domestically. This energy crisis is a major factor in Cuba's projected economic contraction of 6.5% for 2026, the most severe in the Latin American region.