The energy crisis affecting Cuba continues unabated and shows no signs of improvement. On Monday, June 23, the Electric Union (UNE) reported that the country experienced outages for 24 hours straight, which also extended into the early hours of today.
According to the official report on social media from the state-owned company led by Alfredo López Valdés, the highest recorded impact on Sunday was 1,650 MW at 9:50 PM, coinciding with the peak of nighttime demand.
Despite repeated official promises to stabilize the service, the data continues to reveal a chronic and structural situation: a lack of thermal generation, technological obsolescence, a fuel deficit, and a clear inability of the infrastructure to meet the minimum demand of the country.
Critical and Relentless Perspective
In its report, UNE stated that at 7:00 a.m. this Monday, the availability of the National Electric System (SEN) was 1,750 MW, compared to a demand of 3,000 MW, resulting in a deficit of 1,297 MW in the early hours of the day.
By noon, an impact of 1,250 MW is expected, and during the peak nighttime hours, with an estimated demand of 3,550 MW, the deficit would increase to 1,700 MW, with a projected impact of 1,770 MW.
In this scenario, the authorities are optimistic about the potential entry of unit 6 from the CTE Mariel, which only provides 100 MW—an amount insufficient to alter the overall forecast. Meanwhile, units 6 and 8 from Mariel and unit 2 from Felton remain offline due to breakdowns, and three others (Santa Cruz, Cienfuegos, and Renté) are still under maintenance.
In addition, 96 distributed generation plants remain offline due to a lack of fuel, totaling 738 MW, to which an additional 79 MW are added due to a lack of oil. In total, 817 MW are inactive in that segment.
Sun and Blackouts: The Cuban Paradox
Although the 16 recently installed photovoltaic solar parks contributed 1,803 MWh yesterday and reached a peak capacity of 402 MW, their contribution remains marginal compared to a power grid that is bleeding daily.
With rising temperatures and summer in full swing, the reality for Cubans can be summed up as heat, darkness, mosquitoes, and despair. Each day adds between 12 and 24 hours without electricity, with brief flashes of light that are insufficient for preserving food or getting rest.
A cycle of deterioration
The daily reports from the UNE repeat with millimeter precision: unforeseen departures, prolonged maintenance, a growing deficit, and no new units to stabilize the system.
This Monday marks the third consecutive day of reported outages exceeding 1,700 MW during peak hours, nearing record figures like the 1,880 MW from Saturday, which is the second largest impact in the country's electrical history.
For the citizens, the situation is untenable. Social media, both in official publications and in independent spaces, reflects the frustration: reports of outages lasting over 24 hours, inequalities between provinces and circuits, and a discredited and repetitive official information system.
"The UNE recites a litany of excuses, but the country remains in the dark," writes a user. Another comments, "How much longer are we going to survive without really living?" Cuban families no longer hope for improvements; they are just trying to survive another day.
The Cuban electrical system is experiencing an unprecedented crisis in decades. Far from stabilizing, the disruptions have become chronic, and each official statement seems to confirm the imminent collapse that many citizens claim to be experiencing.
Meanwhile, the people continue to suffer the consequences of an ineffective, outdated, and non-transparent energy policy.
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