Cuba has started restoring electricity to parts of Havana after a nationwide grid failure left 10 million people without power. Approximately 19% of the city has regained electricity, though full recovery estimates are unclear. The collapse, which occurred due to a short circuit, is attributed to ongoing issues with the island’s aging energy infrastructure and external sanctions.
Cuba has begun to restore power to certain areas of Havana following a significant nationwide grid collapse that left approximately 10 million individuals without electricity. Despite this restoration, vast sections of the capital and country remained dark as of Sunday morning. According to Havana’s electric company, about 19% of the city’s clientele experienced the restoration of power, although there has been no estimation provided regarding the timeline for full recovery.
On Sunday morning, Cuba’s energy and mines ministry announced the reactivation of the Felton power plant, a critical facility for supplying electricity to the eastern provinces. However, the country’s largest power plant, Antonio Guinteras, located in Matanzas, was still not operational. Residents of Havana are concerned about their limited frozen food supplies, which may spoil after approximately 36 hours without electricity.
The incident marked the fourth nationwide blackout since October, which resulted from an initial short circuit at a substation in Havana affecting the entire grid. Notably, only certain tourist hotels, restaurants, and venues with independent generators managed to maintain power during this crisis. The crisis has been exacerbated by the ongoing issues faced by Cuba’s aging oil-fired power generation facilities, which are struggling to meet demand due to dwindling oil imports from Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico.
Before the grid failure on Friday, many households across Cuba were already enduring prolonged blackouts lasting up to 20 hours each day. The Cuban government attributes the worsening energy crisis to the longstanding U.S. trade embargo from the Cold War era, alongside recent sanctions imposed by former President Donald Trump. In response, the government is ambitiously planning to develop substantial solar energy farms with assistance from China, aiming to reduce reliance on outdated oil-based power generation.
In conclusion, Cuba is actively working to restore electricity following a serious grid failure that impacted millions. As power gradually returns to segments of Havana, concerns remain regarding food spoilage and the reliability of the aging power infrastructure. The Cuban government aims to pursue renewable energy solutions to mitigate future outages in light of ongoing economic challenges and external embargo pressures.
Original Source: www.usnews.com
