Cuba Hit by Nationwide Power Grid Collapse Amid Ongoing Energy Crisis

By Staff, Agencies

Cuba experienced a nationwide electricity blackout on Friday after the country’s national power grid completely shut down, according to the Electricity Union [UNE].

The utility said a “total disconnection” of the National Electric System had occurred and that recovery procedures were immediately being put into action. Authorities were investigating the cause while working to restore electricity across the island.

The incident is the latest in a series of major power failures to hit Cuba this year. The country experienced several nationwide blackouts in July, followed by another significant outage on August 2. Meanwhile, prolonged electricity shortages have affected Havana and other areas, with some neighborhoods reportedly experiencing outages lasting more than 30 hours.

Cuba’s electricity system has been strained by aging power plants, fuel shortages and limited generation capacity. Authorities have also cited maintenance difficulties and problems within the generation system as contributing factors.

Although renewable energy has provided some additional electricity, Cuba continues to rely heavily on aging thermal power plants, many of which have struggled to operate reliably.

The power shortages have also disrupted essential services, including water distribution and telecommunications.

The Cuban government has blamed US measures and restrictions affecting fuel supplies for worsening the country’s energy difficulties. The United States, meanwhile, has pointed to the Cuban government’s economic and infrastructure policies as major factors behind the crisis.