Cuba has restored power to most of Havana after a two-day outage affecting 10 million people. Havana’s electric company reported that two-thirds of clients regained power. The outage was caused by a substation failure, paralyzing the city. The collapse marks Cuba’s fourth blackout since October, with ongoing challenges in energy production and U.S. sanctions complicating the crisis.
Cuba has reestablished its national electrical grid, restoring power to much of Havana by late Sunday, following an island-wide outage that had affected 10 million people. Officials from Havana’s electric company reported that approximately two-thirds of the city’s clients had their power restored, with expectations of further improvements overnight.
The outage was initiated after a transmission line at a substation in Havana short-circuited on Friday evening, leading to a total shutdown of electrical generation across the island. The abrupt power loss severely impacted commerce, halted restaurant operations, and caused the failure of street and stoplights in Havana, a city of two million.
By late Sunday, Cuba’s two largest oil-fired power plants, Felton and Antonio Guiteras, resumed operations, marking a critical step toward restoring electricity across the affected areas. Officials noted that power had reached Pinar del Rio province, the last to be restored, just before darkness fell on Sunday.
This grid collapse represents Cuba’s fourth nationwide blackout since October. The island’s oil-fired power plants, increasingly antiquated and facing operational challenges, had already struggled prior to this incident due to decreased oil imports from Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico.
Despite progress in restoring power, officials stated that only one-third of the usual daily electricity demand was being met, resulting in continued darkness for many residents. In response, schools in Pinar del Río, Artemisa, and Mayabeque provinces will remain closed until Tuesday to ensure favorable conditions for students.
The Cuban government attributes the escalating energy crisis to the enduring U.S. trade embargo from the Cold War era and recent restrictions imposed by former President Donald Trump, who intensified sanctions against the government. In response, Cuba is working toward the development of large solar energy farms, collaborating with China to diminish reliance on outdated oil generation methods.
Cuba has made significant strides in restoring its electrical grid, particularly in Havana, following a widespread power outage affecting millions. Although power generation remains below typical demand levels, the government continues to work on strategies to address the ongoing energy crisis while facing external pressures from U.S. sanctions. The focus on developing renewable energy sources represents a proactive response to secure the country’s energy future.
Original Source: gazette.com
