Cuba Faces Widespread Blackouts Affecting Up to 69% of Nation During Peak Hours

Cuba is bracing for another day of severe electricity shortages, with projections indicating that as much as 69% of the nation could be plunged into darkness during peak evening hours on Tuesday.

The island nation's energy crisis, a persistent problem since 2024 and significantly worsened by U.S. oil sanctions implemented in January, has reached unprecedented levels. Last week alone saw two nationwide blackouts following failures in the national power grid.

State utility Unión Eléctrica (UNE) has characterized the national electro-energy system (SEN) as "critical." This dire situation stems from a combination of the U.S. embargo impacting fuel imports and a deeply outdated power generation infrastructure. Consequently, even after power is restored, prolonged outages remain common, with many Cubans receiving only a couple of hours of electricity daily.

For Tuesday's peak demand period, UNE forecasts a generation capacity of only 1,020 megawatts against a demand of 3,150 megawatts, leaving a deficit of 2,130 megawatts. This shortfall will necessitate disconnecting 2,160 megawatts to prevent uncontrolled grid collapse. Compounding the issue, eight of the sixteen thermoelectric generation units are currently offline due to breakdowns or maintenance, despite being crucial for generating 40% of the country's energy mix from domestic crude oil. The aging state of these plants, some decades old, leads to frequent failures. Another 40% of the energy mix relies on imported diesel and fuel oil for generation engines, supplies that have been severely curtailed by U.S. pressure. The remaining 20% comes from gas and renewable sources, with some assistance from China. Independent estimates suggest that revitalizing Cuba's electrical grid would require an investment of $8 billion to $10 billion.