Cuba Restores Power to Much of Havana Following Nationwide Outage

Cuba reconnected its electrical grid, restoring power to much of Havana after a major blackout that left 10 million people without electricity for two days. Two-thirds of Havana’s residents had power restored, but many continued to experience service disruptions. The government attributes its energy crisis to U.S. sanctions and is working on solar power initiatives to enhance reliability.

On Sunday, Cuba reconnected its national electrical grid, successfully restoring power to much of Havana after nearly two days of widespread outages affecting 10 million citizens. Officials indicated that by late Sunday, around two-thirds of Havana’s electric company clients regained electricity, with expectations of further improvements overnight. Cheers erupted throughout neighborhoods as residents celebrated the return of power after experiencing darkness for two days.

The blackout originated from a short circuit in a Havana substation on Friday evening, causing an extensive failure in power generation across the country. The outage severely impacted the densely populated capital and a key tourism hub, halting commerce and causing restaurants to close, as well as disrupting traffic with non-functional streetlights in a city of approximately two million.

By late Sunday, Cuba’s grid operator confirmed the reactivation of the two largest oil-fired power plants, Felton and Antonio Guiteras, which are crucial for restoring electricity nationwide. Additionally, power was restored to the westernmost Pinar del Rio province just before night fell on Sunday. This national grid failure marked Cuba’s fourth occurrence since October.

Cuba’s energy crisis has been exacerbated by outdated oil-fired power plants and a decline in oil imports from Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico. Prior to this outage, many Cuban citizens had already encountered daily electricity outages extending up to 20 hours. Although some power was restored, officials reported that electricity generation only met a third of the normal daily demand, leaving numerous residents still without service.

In the wake of the blackout, schools in Pinar del Río, Artemisa, and Mayabeque provinces will remain closed until Tuesday to ensure that adequate conditions are provided for students. The Cuban government attributes its ongoing energy challenges to the long-standing U.S. trade embargo and recent sanctions imposed by former President Trump, who reinforced a stringent policy against the communist regime. To mitigate these issues, the government is pursuing the development of large solar farms in collaboration with China to decrease reliance on antiquated oil-fired energy sources.

In summary, Cuba successfully restored power to much of Havana after a nationwide blackout, with approximately two-thirds of the city regaining electricity. The event emphasizes the ongoing challenges faced by the Cuban power infrastructure, aggravated by external sanctions and outdated technology. The government is actively pursuing renewable energy solutions to provide a more reliable electricity supply for its citizens.

Original Source: gazette.com