Cuba faces this Sunday, during the commemoration of the 73rd anniversary of the Moncada assault, a projected electrical deficit of 2,080 MW during peak hours, according to the informative note from the Electric Union (UNE). The expected availability is only 1,150 MW compared to an estimated demand of 3,200 MW.
The day began with a new breakdown at the largest plant in the country: at 1:07 AM, the UNE announced on Facebook that Unit 1 of the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant, in Matanzas, had gone offline from the National Electric System (SEN) "due to a leak in the economizer."
This plant has experienced at least 17 unplanned outages so far in 2026, most of which are due to failures in the boiler and the economizer, making it the most visible symbol of the Cuban thermoelectric collapse.
On Saturday, the electric service was affected 24 hours a day, including the early morning. The largest impact reached 1,883 MW at 9:40 PM, affecting all provinces in the country.
In addition to the Guiteras, the Unit 6 of the Máximo Gómez Thermoelectric Plant (Mariel), Unit 6 of the Diez de Octubre Thermoelectric Plant (Nuevitas), Unit 2 of the Lidio Ramón Pérez Thermoelectric Plant (Felton), and Unit 3 of the Antonio Maceo Thermoelectric Plant (Renté) are also out of service.
Unit 3 of the Ernesto Guevara De La Serna Thermoelectric Plant (Santa Cruz), Units 5 and 6 of Antonio Maceo (Renté), and Unit 5 of Diez de Octubre (Nuevitas) are currently under maintenance.
Distributed generation also provides no relief: 106 power plants are out of service due to lack of fuel, along with the Regla Patana, the Melones Patana, the Mariel Fuel Central, and the Moa Fuel Central.
The 54 photovoltaic solar parks generated 5,258 MWh on Saturday, with a maximum output of 876 MW, a contribution that proves insufficient to offset the thermal collapse.
The political context adds a particular dimension to the energy crisis this Sunday. On the eve of July 26, Havana received electricity unusually steadily, which activists and citizens interpreted as a maneuver by the regime to demobilize protests on a politically sensitive date.
On Wednesday, the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance called for a national pot-banging event that took place in various neighborhoods of Havana, including Lawton, San Agustín, La Coronela, La Lisa, Centro Habana, and San Miguel del Padrón.
On Saturday, dozens of uniformed MININT police officers were deployed in El Diezmero, San Miguel del Padrón municipality.
July 2026 has been the most critical month of the year for the SEN: on July 8, the highest historical deficit recorded was 2,341 MW, and the system completely collapsed on July 6, 10, and 14, leaving approximately 9.6 million people without electricity during each incident.
The projected deficit for this July 26—date on which the regime celebrates its most emblematic anniversary with the central event in Pinar del Río—dangerously approaches that historic record, while millions of Cubans are facing prolonged blackouts during the work stoppage declared by the government itself.
Related videos:
Filed under: