Cuba continues to face a severe energy crisis, with widespread blackouts across the country. This Monday, the official report from Unión Eléctrica (UNE) confirmed that on Sunday, a maximum impact of 1,808 MW was recorded at 8:40 p.m., coinciding with the peak demand time.
This figure exceeded 193 MW the forecast of 1,615 MW announced the day before, and represents one of the highest peaks reported in recent months.
It is a record figure, reached only on rare occasions, and historically, it usually precedes scenarios of total collapse of the National Electric System (SEN), as happened in October 2024.
The level of impact reflects the profound fragility of the country's electrical infrastructure, which has been affected by breakdowns, postponed maintenance, and a growing shortage of fuel and lubricants.
This Monday, the situation remains critical: at 7:00 a.m., the availability of the national electricity system was 1,710 MW against a demand of 2,800 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,149 MW.
By noon, an impact of 1,250 MW is expected, while for the peak evening hours, the forecast indicates a deficit of 1,636 MW, with outages that could reach 1,706 MW, very close to the historical maximum recorded the day before, and which could be greater given UNE's tendency to fall short in its forecasts.
The response of the Cuban regime to this crisis has been to accelerate the construction of photovoltaic solar parks as part of a strategy to diversify the energy matrix. In recent days, the launch of eight new parks was announced, which contributed 982 MWh to the system on Sunday.
However, industry experts believe that this strategy is neither sufficient nor appropriate to resolve the structural crisis of the SEN.
Solar generation, while necessary as a complement, is intermittent, dependent on weather conditions, and does not meet nighttime demand, which is when the most critical consumption peaks occur. Additionally, its connection to an aging and poorly maintained grid limits its actual efficiency.
Meanwhile, the population continues to face prolonged power outages, without defined schedules and with growing social discontent. Social media has become a constant space for denunciation, where the truthfulness of official reports is questioned and an effective solution to a crisis that shows no signs of improvement is demanded.
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