This morning, Cuba's National Electric System (SEN) was reconnected from Pinar del Río to Holguín, as confirmed by the Unión Eléctrica at 11:15 AM on Tuesday. Despite this progress, countless Cubans still face power outages.
The Unión Eléctrica reported on social media that significant strides were made overnight: "The system has been linked from Pinar del Río to Holguín. We are in the process of restarting Unit 8 of the Mariel Thermoelectric Plant, the Antonio Guiteras Plant, and Unit 3 of Cespedes."
The state-run company added, "The substation at the Felton Thermoelectric Plant is energized and we aim to bring the unit online within hours. Our recovery efforts continue."
This announcement was echoed by the Ministry of Energy and Mines on X, following the total blackout that plunged the country into darkness on Monday, March 16.
Partial Restoration Amid Widespread Outages
Despite the reconnection, the recovery is only partial. The provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Granma remain disconnected, relying solely on local independent generation microsystems, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
Unclear Causes Behind the Blackout
The root cause of Monday's nationwide blackout in Cuba remains undisclosed. Lázaro Guerra Hernández, the Director General of Electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines, admitted that the reasons for the blackout are still unknown. He mentioned that no faults were reported in the generating units operating at the time of the system's failure.
Prior to the collapse, the system was already operating under strain. By 6:00 AM on Monday, availability was merely 1,140 MW against a demand of 2,347 MW, with 1,220 MW already impacted. The peak time deficit was projected at 1,930 MW. Cuba's 52 photovoltaic solar parks contributed 4,262 MWh with a maximum capacity of 732 MW, insufficient to sustain the system. The peak outage recorded was 1,891 MW at 7:20 PM.
The blackout also led to a massive internet disruption in Cuba; Cloudflare reported a 65% drop in data traffic during the collapse.
Frequent Blackouts Highlight Infrastructure Issues
The U.S. Embassy in Havana issued a security alert due to the general blackout. This marks the fifth or sixth nationwide collapse in the past 12 to 18 months.
The most recent incident occurred on March 4, when a failure at the Antonio Guiteras Plant — the largest thermoelectric plant in Cuba, located in Matanzas — disconnected the system from Camagüey to Pinar del Río, impacting about 80% of the country and around 7 million people.
Earlier, on October 18, 2024, another general blackout, also originating at the Guiteras Plant, left the nation without power. By October 20, only 11% of the demand had been restored.
This ongoing crisis stems from decades of neglect of Cuba's energy infrastructure: thermoelectric plants over 40 years old, chronic fuel shortages, and generation capacity far below actual demand.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, had already warned that power outages would persist into 2026, albeit "slightly better" than the previous year.
Understanding Cuba's Power Crisis
What progress has been made in reconnecting Cuba's power grid?
The power grid has been reconnected from Pinar del Río to Holguín, with ongoing efforts to restart key units at several thermoelectric plants.
Which provinces are still affected by the blackout?
Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, and Granma remain disconnected, relying on local independent generation systems.
Why did the recent blackout occur?
The exact cause of the blackout is still unknown, although no faults were reported in the operating generating units at the time of the collapse.
How has the blackout affected internet connectivity in Cuba?
The blackout resulted in a 65% reduction in internet data traffic, significantly disrupting connectivity across the country.