Just hours after the National Electro-Energetic System (SEN) was reconnected in the western part of the country, the Electric Union (UNE) published its forecast for the nighttime peak hours this Sunday: an impact of 2,195 MW, with a availability of only 1,035 MW against a projected maximum demand of 3,200 MW.
That deficit would amount to approximately 68% of total demand, which forecasts massive blackouts across much of Cuban territory during the peak consumption hours of the day.
The blackout that preceded this forecast began on Saturday at 18:07, when, according to UNE itself, "a simultaneous discharge occurred on the 220 kV lines from Matanzas to Cienfuegos and from Matanzas to Santa Clara," which divided the SEN and left five provinces without electricity: Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Mayabeque, La Habana, and Matanzas.
The blackout lasted for nearly seven hours, and the restoration of power was gradual. In the early morning, the UNE reported: "Restoration efforts are ongoing according to the established procedure. Hospitals and essential facilities are operational. Generating units in the western region are being prepared for gradual integration into the national electric system." At 1:10 AM, it announced: "The electrical system in the western part of the country has been restored."
However, the official announcement did not match the reality experienced by many Cubans. In comments on UNE's page, residents from Havana, Matanzas, Artemisa, and Cienfuegos reported still having no electricity. "I don't have power. I think they took me out of the western part of the country; I'm from planet Mars," wrote one internet user. Another pointed out, "They only turned on the privileged circuits." A third was more direct: "What they have with the people is complete disinformation."
This episode adds to the extensive chain of failures of the SEN so far in 2026, which includes multiple total disconnections of the system, leaving the entire country without electricity: on March 16 and 21, and at least three within a mere eight days in July, a month that is already noted as the most critical for the Cuban electrical system in recent years. Additionally, the historic record of simultaneous outages —without the SEN being down— was recorded on July 29 with 2,380 MW.
The electricity generation chart reflects the structural deterioration of the system. Among the plants out of service this Sunday are units 6 and 8 of the Máximo Gómez Thermoelectric Plant (Mariel, Artemisa), unit 1 of the Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Thermoelectric Plant (Santa Cruz del Norte, Mayabeque); unit 1 of the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant (Matanzas) —the largest in the country, with at least 17 unscheduled outages in 2026— and unit 2 of the Lidio Ramón Pérez Thermoelectric Plant in Felton (Holguín).
Unit 3 of the Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Power Plant, units 5 and 6 of the Antonio Maceo Power Plant in Renté (Santiago de Cuba), and unit 5 of the Diez de Octubre Power Plant in Nuevitas (Camagüey) are under maintenance.
To try to reduce the deficit during the peak, the UNE anticipates the entry of unit 8 of the CTE Mariel with 60 MW and unit 1 of the CTE Santa Cruz with 45 MW, a contribution that is marginal compared to the more than 2,000 MW gap that still needs to be covered.
Regarding alternative sources, the 54 photovoltaic solar parks generated 4,867 MWh on Saturday, with a maximum power of 756 MW. However, solar energy does not operate at night, precisely when the highest demand and the most severe deficits occur.
Additionally, 106 distributed generation plants remain out of service due to unavailability of fuel, along with the Patana de Regla, the Patana de Melones, the Mariel Fuel Plant, and the Moa Fuel Plant.
The shortage of fuel, exacerbated by reduced supplies from Venezuela, Mexico, and Russia, is the most immediate limiting factor for thermoelectric generation. The Minister of Energy and Mining, Vicente de la O Levy, acknowledged on July 30 that there are communities with up to 105 days without electricity, and he admitted that the energy crisis "does not have a short-term solution" and that "the road is long."
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