Cuba's Biggest Power Cut This Monday Will Black Out Over 61% of the Island Simultaneously
Cuba will face the largest simultaneous power outage of the year this Monday, with blackouts leaving up to 61.5% of the country without service at the same time, amid an energy crisis exacerbated by fuel shortages and the collapse of the generation system.
TL;DR
- Cuba will face its largest simultaneous power outage of the year on Monday, affecting up to 61.5% of the country.
- The crisis is driven by fuel shortages and the collapse of the generation system, worsened by U.S. sanctions.
- A record 63% of the country was simultaneously without power on January 31st.
- The state utility company forecasts a deficit of 1,876 MW during peak demand.
- Seven out of 16 thermoelectric units are currently out of service due to breakdowns or maintenance.
- Distributed generation, another key source, has been completely halted for four weeks due to the oil blockade.
- Independent experts estimate $8-10 billion is needed to overhaul the electrical system.
- The government blames U.S. sanctions for the 'energy asphyxiation'.
- Prolonged blackouts have contracted the economy by over 15% since 2020 and triggered protests.