Millions in the dark after Cuba suffers yet another massive power outage

The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 10:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 13 minutes ago

Cuba suffered a monolithic powerfulness outage Friday nighttime affecting Havana and the country's provinces that near millions successful the dark.

Cuba's Ministry of Energy and Mines said astatine astir 8:15 p.m. section clip a powerfulness outage astatine the Diezmero substation connected the outskirts of Havana had caused "a important nonaccomplishment of procreation successful occidental Cuba and, with it, the nonaccomplishment of the National Electric System."

The ministry said connected its relationship connected X that it is "working connected the betterment process."

The streets of Havana were acheronian and empty, with airy coming lone from the windows of hotels that had generators.

People successful provinces arsenic acold distant arsenic Guantanamo, Artemisa, Santiago de Cuba, and Santa Clara reported experiencing blackouts with conscionable flickers of light.

Earlier, the Electric Union, the authorities bureau that regulates the sector, said successful its regular study that peak-hour request would beryllium astir 3,250 megawatts and the shortage would scope astir 1,380 megawatts, meaning 42 per cent of the nationalist vigor strategy would beryllium unopen down. This fig is not the highest successful caller memory.

Cuba suffered 3 wide outages successful its nationalist vigor strategy astatine the extremity of past year, leaving the land successful the acheronian amid a superior economical crisis.

Cuba's powerfulness grid has been plagued by predominant outages successful caller months, with much than fractional of the state experiencing powerfulness cuts during highest hours. The outages are chiefly caused by substance shortages and aging infrastructure. In galore parts of the island, energy is important for cooking and h2o pumping.