Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel praised the advancements in the electricity sector and asserted that the country is undergoing an energy transformation of a scale that is still not fully understood, while millions of citizens continue to endure prolonged blackouts, and the National Electric System (SEN) has experienced eight total collapses so far in 2026.
"“We have not yet realized the energy transition we are undergoing,” Díaz-Canel stated during the conclusions of a two-day visit to the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) and three of its business groups, as reported by the official Canal Caribe."
The statement came after the president praised the installation of over 1,000 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic solar capacity during 2025, an achievement that he claimed has helped prevent even greater generation deficits.
However, the expansion of solar parks has not succeeded in ending the blackouts that affect the daily lives of Cubans, from food preservation to water supply and the functioning of essential services.
On September 18, Cuba experienced its eighth total collapse of the National Electric System in 2026, leaving millions of people without electricity. The national interconnection took approximately 32 hours to restore, although this did not mean an immediate recovery of service for all consumers.
The minister acknowledges the financial challenges of the electricity system
During the visit, Díaz-Canel engaged in discussions with executives from the Electric Union (UNE), CUPET, and the Mining and Saline Business Group (Geominsal) to assess the implementation of the 176 socioeconomic measures approved in June.
The meetings also included Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz and Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party.
The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, highlighted the organizational changes being experienced by the Electric Union with the incorporation of new generation sources.
"The transformation of the UNE is an extremely profound cultural transformation," affirmed the official.
De la O Levy explained that the company is transitioning from managing a small number of large thermoelectric plants to operating a much broader network, which already includes 144 photovoltaic solar parks and is moving towards approximately 300 points of electricity generation.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that one of the biggest challenges remains securing financial resources to sustain the system's operations.
"We need to quickly and intelligently find ways to generate income to alleviate the financial burden faced by the Union Eléctrica," he noted.
For his part, Díaz-Canel emphasized that economic changes must be applied both to productive activities and to the internal operations of the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
"The first thing that needs to be energetically transformed is this ministry," stated the leader, who positively assessed the proposals presented by the business groups.
The private sector begins to intervene in turbines and generators
Another aspect addressed during the meetings was the inclusion of small and medium-sized private enterprises in the maintenance of key components of thermal power plants.
A member of the Communist Party of MINEM, whose identity was not specified in the report, explained that previously private companies participated in refrigeration, painting, and civil works, but did not directly engage in essential equipment for electric generation.
"A small and medium-sized enterprise working in a thermoelectric plant, on a turbine and working on a generator, we hadn't tried that," he acknowledged.
As an example, he mentioned an experience developed at the Mariel thermoelectric power plant. He explained that a small and medium-sized enterprise participated in work on machine 5 and block 6 of the aforementioned facility, including turbine and generator components. The participant rated the results as "very promising."
Despite the official narrative on energy transformation, Cubans continue to face prolonged blackouts, while the deterioration of thermoelectric plants persists, along with breakdowns, lack of maintenance, and fuel shortages.
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