As of 2:00 p.m., Cuba faced an electricity shortfall surpassing 1,270 MW, already exceeding the 1,264 MW predicted for Thursday night's peak hours. This underscores the escalating severity of the island's energy crisis. Official journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso raised alarms on Facebook, reporting that numerous provinces in Cuba had switched off all possible circuits, foreshadowing an even darker night than anticipated.
This dire situation highlights the challenges plaguing the Cuban electrical grid, which seems increasingly unable to meet demand, even when expectations were already bleak. Alonso provided snapshots from various Telegram channels of provincial branches of the Unión Eléctrica as evidence of the extreme conditions Cubans are enduring.
Intensifying Energy Challenges
In several areas, circuits were shut down by 2:00 p.m., well ahead of the scheduled outages, exacerbating the electric supply issues. Earlier that day, at 7:00 a.m., the national power system was already suffering from a 457 MW capacity deficit. By midday, this figure was expected to rise to 800 MW.
Peak Hour Forecast Surpassed
According to the daily report, the peak hour forecast projected an impact of 1,264 MW, but by 2:00 p.m., this number had already been exceeded, reaching 1,270 MW. This development starkly illustrates the extent of the electrical crisis Cuba is grappling with.