The government touts advancements in solar parks while widespread blackouts persist in Cuba

In the midst of a critical energy scenario, the Cuban government boasted this Monday about the performance of three new solar photovoltaic parks, whose production exceeded the planned output by 61 MWh, according to data from the Electric Union (UNE).

The sites —located at the Nursing School in Havana, Alcalde Mayor in Cienfuegos, and La Sabana in Granma— generated a total of 337 MWh. This figure was highlighted in an informative note regarding the status of the National Electric System (SEN), which, despite this, continues to show severe instability.

At 7:00 a.m. on this Monday, March 24, the energy availability reached 1,837 MW against a demand of 2,200 MW, resulting in an impact of 457 MW. For the nighttime peak hours, the anticipated deficit is expected to reach 1,353 MW, with estimated outages of up to 1,423 MW.

The production of solar parks remains insufficient to reverse the structural crisis of the SEN, characterized by constant breakdowns and maintenance issues in the country's main thermoelectric plants. Currently, Unit 2 of the Felton Thermoelectric Plant and Unit 6 of the Renté Thermoelectric Plant are out of service, while another five units are undergoing maintenance.

Despite the official enthusiasm, the reality of the national energy system remains far from providing stability to the Cuban population, which suffers from frequent and prolonged blackouts. On the previous day, the maximum impact reached 1,475 MW at 8:00 p.m., the time of highest demand.

In this context, the regime has intensified its propaganda surrounding the rollout of solar energy, with promises of regional leadership in renewables and the inauguration of multiple solar parks at record speed. However, experts have warned that without a profound modernization of the electrical grid and efficient storage solutions, the actual impact of these installations will be limited.

Although solar parks are a positive step, Cuba's energy crisis continues without a solution in sight, while the government resorts to triumphalist rhetoric in front of a population exhausted by daily blackouts.