Half of Cuba Loses Power After National Grid Failure

An estimated 4.5 million Cubans, nearly half the country's population, lost electricity on Saturday, August 1, 2026, due to a partial failure of the National Electric System (SEN). The outage impacted seven provinces, stretching from Pinar del Río in the west to Cienfuegos and Matanzas in the central part of the island.

The state-owned Unión Eléctrica (UNE) reported the partial disconnection and stated that the causes of the failure are under investigation, with protocols being implemented to address such events. This incident occurs amidst a severe energy crisis that has plagued Cuba since mid-2024. The crisis stems from a decades-old, underfunded energy system, further strained by a U.S. oil blockade imposed in January.

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partial disconnection of the SEN

On the day of the outage, the UNE had already anticipated significant power deficits. They projected a generation capacity of 1,080 megawatts (MW) against a maximum demand of 3,200 MW during peak hours, leading to an estimated 2,150 MW of disconnections. Compounding the issue, ten of the sixteen generation units were non-operational. These units, responsible for 40% of the energy mix and reliant on domestic crude, are largely affected by breakdowns and maintenance issues.

Another 40% of the energy mix, typically supplied by diesel and imported fuel oil generators, is paralyzed due to the oil blockade. The remaining 20% comes from gas and renewable sources, including solar power supported by China. The situation has become critical, with daily blackouts in Havana often exceeding 20 hours and reaching up to 40 hours in other provinces. July saw three nationwide blackouts in a single week, with record-breaking outages affecting 74% of the island on one occasion. The government acknowledges the SEN's condition as "critical" and "extremely tense."

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Causes of failure are being investigated and protocols are being implemented to face this type of event.