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The energy crisis in Cuba continues to severely impact the daily lives of citizens, with the Electric Union of Cuba (UNE) reporting another day characterized by prolonged outages and supply shortages.
The most recent report from the state-owned company reveals a critical situation: a projected deficit of 890 MW during peak hours, which could result in impacts of up to 960 MW, solidifying blackouts as a constant in the "new normal" of the island.
The day before, the SEN reported service disruptions throughout the day, reaching a peak interruption of 809 MW at 6:30 PM, coinciding with the time of highest demand. This pattern, repeated over months, highlights the system's inability to meet demand, resulting in blackouts that affect homes, basic services, and economic activities.
For this Monday, the UNE reported an initial availability of 2,110 MW against a demand of 1,900 MW, which allowed for maintaining the service in the early hours of the day. However, it forecast that demand will reach 3,000 MW during peak hours, resulting in an unbridgeable deficit of 890 MW, exacerbated by the outage of several generating units and limitations in thermal and distributed generation.
Critical condition of power plants
The report from this Monday briefly addressed the outages and maintenance at the country’s main thermoelectric plants (CTE). As the energy crisis in Cuba continues, authorities are opting for greater opacity in their information, as can be seen in the new communication approach of UNE on their social media and website.
Unit 2 of the Felton thermoelectric power plant (CTE) is currently out of service. The company led by Alfredo López Valdés did not mention in its latest report the status of Unit 5 of the CTE 10 de Octubre de Nuevitas, which was reported in the Sunday update to have unexpectedly exited the SEN due to a malfunction.
Units 2 and 3 of the Santa Cruz Power Plant, Units 3 and 4 of the Cienfuegos Power Plant, and Unit 5 of the Renté Power Plant are under maintenance.
The "new normal" and the recent collapses of the National Electrical System (SEN)
Large-scale blackouts have ceased to be exceptional events and have become a constant that reflects the inability of the Cuban electrical system to operate stably.
In October 2024, power outages reached alarming levels, approaching 1,000 MW daily disruptions. Instead of finding solutions, the UNE described the crisis justifying the outages as inevitable due to the state of the power plants.
At the end of October, the situation worsened with sudden and massive collapses of the national electric system that left large regions of the country without electricity for hours or even days.
According to reports from UNE, these widespread blackouts were the result of a combination of failures in key plants, fuel shortages, and a lack of maintenance on outdated infrastructure.
The lack of stable generation, combined with chronic maintenance issues and breakdowns in thermal power plants, leaves the electrical system on the brink of collapse. These conditions have been worsened by the dependence on fossil fuels, which the regime tries to downplay with proclamations about "energy sovereignty" and alleged investment programs in renewable energy.
Impact on the population and official response
For citizens, blackouts mean nights without light, loss of food due to lack of refrigeration, and a direct impact on the economy, as many small businesses and services are forced to halt their activities.
Long hours without electricity also impact access to drinking water, transportation, and health services, increasing frustration and social discontent.
Meanwhile, the government has chosen a narrative that downplays the crisis and focuses on blaming external factors such as the U.S. embargo, without taking responsibility for the lack of investment in electrical infrastructure or the planning mistakes. In May 2024, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, went so far as to say that the blackouts were bearable.
As power outages continue to shape the lives of Cubans, "the new normal" solidifies as a constant reminder of the structural collapse of a system unable to meet the basic needs of the population.
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