On Thursday, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel paid a visit to Havana's Electric Company, where it was revealed that officials are collaborating with artificial intelligence experts from the University of Havana to ensure a more fair distribution of power outages across the capital's various municipalities.
The meeting included the presence of the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, the provincial first secretary of the Communist Party, Liván Izquierdo Alonso, along with Havana's governor, Yanet Hernández Pérez, and other officials, according to the official Cuban Presidency website.
This gathering tackled several critical challenges such as the high electricity demand in the capital, the aging infrastructure of the power grid, fuel shortages for distributed generation, the instability of thermoelectric plants, and the significant number of damaged transformers.
AI's Role in Equitable Energy Distribution
Regarding the technological promise, the report hinted that "in the not-so-distant future, once the designed programs are available, there will be greater fairness in power distribution, as well as improved analysis and control of this essential service."
However, the announcement lacked specific timelines or technical details on when these programs would be operational.
Dire Energy Crisis Context
This promise comes amid a severe crisis. On August 5, Cuba set a new record for electrical deficit, surpassing 2,411 MW, breaking the previous record of 2,380 MW on July 29.
The demand is approximately 3,100 MW, while available generation barely reaches 1,000 MW, highlighting not only the worsening fuel shortages but also decades of underinvestment by the government and the deterioration of the energy system.
Between August 2 and 4, the National Electric System collapsed twice within 24 hours, marking the sixth and seventh nationwide blackout of the year.
Growing Public Outrage
Public frustration is mounting due to the unequal distribution of power cuts, an issue that AI aims to address. Recently, content creator Yai Savón, a mother of three from the La Lisa municipality, went viral with a Facebook video directly addressing the leader: "In Marianao, we have electricity all day, but in La Lisa, not even an hour. We've been without power for four days and without water for about fifteen."
Savón painted a desperate picture: "I have three small children. I can't provide food because it's spoiled. I don't have a rechargeable fan to keep them cool because there's no power. There's no water either."
Díaz-Canel's Tour of Havana's Municipalities
Díaz-Canel's visit to the Electric Company is part of a tour of the capital's 15 municipalities that began on June 30. During this tour, in July, he urged authorities to "better organize" the outages without announcing any measures to boost power generation.
In July, the Cuban Conflict Observatory recorded 1,415 protests and critical expressions across the island, marking the highest monthly figure in its history. The country is estimated to need between $8 and $10 billion to restore the national energy grid.
Key Questions About Cuba's Energy Crisis
How is artificial intelligence expected to improve power distribution in Cuba?
Artificial intelligence is anticipated to enable a more equitable distribution of power outages by optimizing the analysis and control of electricity distribution across Havana.
What are the main factors contributing to Cuba's current energy crisis?
The energy crisis is primarily attributed to high electricity demand, aging infrastructure, fuel shortages, unstable thermoelectric plants, and insufficient investment in the energy sector over the years.
What was the public reaction to the unequal power distribution?
The unequal power distribution has led to growing public dissatisfaction, as seen in viral social media posts and increasing protests across the island.