The Cuban electrical grid nearly hit its historical peak again this Thursday, with disruptions affecting 2,315 MW at 9:10 PM, according to the latest update from the Electric Union released on Friday.
Power outages persisted throughout the entire day, even during the early morning hours, affecting every province across the country.
This figure dangerously approaches the all-time high of 2,341 MW recorded on July 8, when approximately 73% of the nation was simultaneously left without power.
July 2026 has thus established itself as the most critical month in Cuba's electrical history, with deficit levels far exceeding those of the summer of 2024, when outages ranged between 1,500 and 1,900 MW.
The Electric Union predicts an impact of 2,160 MW during peak hours on Friday, with a generation availability of merely 1,070 MW against a maximum projected demand of 3,200 MW.
The precarious state of the thermoelectric plants significantly contributes to this collapse. Five units remain out of order: Unit 6 of Máximo Gómez in Mariel, Unit 1 of Ernesto Guevara De La Serna in Santa Cruz, Unit 6 of Diez de Octubre in Nuevitas, Unit 2 of Lidio Ramón Pérez in Felton, and Unit 3 of Antonio Maceo in Renté.
Maintenance and Fuel Shortages Worsen Crisis
Additionally, four other units are undergoing maintenance: Unit 3 of Ernesto Guevara De La Serna, Units 5 and 6 of Antonio Maceo, and Unit 5 of Diez de Octubre.
Moreover, 106 distributed generation plants remain offline due to fuel shortages, including the Patana de Regla, Patana de Melones, Central Fuel de Mariel, and Central Fuel de Moa.
The country's 54 solar photovoltaic parks generated 4,467 MW/hour on Thursday, with a peak output of 694 MW, insufficient to offset the nighttime deficit when demand peaks are highest.
Structural Failures and Lack of Action
The crisis stems from deep-rooted structural issues that the regime has neither addressed nor resolved: thermoelectric plants over forty years old without significant maintenance, severe fuel shortages, and a backlog of breakdowns worsening monthly.
The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the most powerful in Cuba with around 10% of the system's capacity, has not seen comprehensive repairs since 2010 and experienced 17 outages just in 2026.
The historical high of 2,341 MW was reached on July 8, and since then, the system has endured five total blackouts in less than three weeks—on July 6, 10, and 14—leaving about 9.6 million people without electricity each time.
The only expected improvement for Friday is the return of Unit 6 at the Diez de Octubre Thermoelectric, which would contribute an additional 80 MW, a marginal figure against a projected deficit exceeding 2,100 MW.
Cubans are estimated to have experienced over 44,300 hours without electricity since the onset of the current energy crisis, highlighting the extent of a collapse that the regime has failed to halt.
FAQs About Cuba's Energy Crisis
What is causing Cuba's ongoing power outages?
Cuba's power outages are primarily due to aging thermoelectric plants with insufficient maintenance, critical fuel shortages, and a buildup of equipment failures that the regime has not adequately addressed.
How much of Cuba's population was affected by the recent blackouts?
Recent blackouts have affected approximately 9.6 million people, or about 73% of Cuba's population, during simultaneous outages.