Related videos:
Amidst the energy crisis affecting Cuba, the authorities in Las Tunas have begun cutting electricity service to state-owned and private businesses that exceeded consumption limits, signaling a tightening of official measures in response to resource shortages and the worsening of power outages.
According to Periódico 26, the National Office for the Rational Use of Energy (Onure) will implement disconnections of up to 72 hours —or more— as a penalty for economic actors who do not comply with established plans, while controls and restrictions are increased to maintain an electrical system on the brink of collapse.
Maritza González Llorente, provincial director of Onure, explained that the actions are part of a set of "special measures" approved by provincial and municipal energy councils, which analyze the situation daily to adjust consumption to the available resources.
One of the priorities, according to the official, is to accelerate the installation of photovoltaic solar systems in sectors deemed strategic.
“These devices are intended for health professionals, educators, and work heroes,” he stated, specifying that before February 17, the province must install 584 photovoltaic modules that are already in the territory.
Cuts as the main sanction
However, the most striking element of the plan is the punitive policy applied against the so-called "energy offenders".
The Onure established that the only penalty will be the direct cut of electricity service to economic actors—both state and non-state—that fail to comply with the notified consumption plans.
"All those who did not comply with the consumption plan for the month of January are having their service cut off," stated González Llorente.
According to the authorities, these disconnections are announced 48 hours in advance and are enforced for a minimum of 72 hours, although they can be extended indefinitely “until the debtor recovers the overdraft.”
Privileges of the "non-shutoff" circuits are eliminated
Another significant measure is the disconnection of companies from the circuits known as "non-shutdown," meaning those that usually maintain a stable supply even during prolonged blackouts.
The director explained that a thorough survey was conducted to identify the consumers—both state and private—who were still protected in these lines and to proceed with separating them.
With this, even entities that previously avoided outages will begin to experience interruptions like the rest of the province.
Additional restrictions on weekends
To further reduce demand, the opening of switches in state services will be implemented from Friday to Monday at 5:00 AM, a strategy aimed at limiting consumption during days of lower work activity.
La Onure ensures that it supervises one hundred percent of the entities and reports any detected incidents directly to the country's leadership.
Wood and charcoal bakeries
As a reflection of the level of precarity, authorities are also moving forward with a schedule to convert bakeries, so they can produce bread using wood and charcoal instead of electricity.
This alternative, which is already in the implementation phase, aims to ensure a vital service while alleviating pressure on the national electrical system.
Crisis without relief in sight
The measures adopted in Las Tunas demonstrate to what extent the energy crisis has forced the regime to impose severe restrictions even on state-run enterprises and the emerging private sector, in a country where blackouts have become a daily part of life.
With service disconnections solidifying as an "administrative tool," energy discipline is enforced through a series of outages, while the population continues to grapple with an increasingly unstable electrical system and no structural solutions in the short term.
Filed under: