The Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines announced on Thursday that the provinces of Artemisa and Granma have been reconnected to the National Electric System (SEN) after a nationwide blackout left the entire island without power on Wednesday. While authorities hailed this as a technical achievement, it underscores the vulnerability of an electricity network that cannot sustain itself without frequent nationwide outages.
Shortly thereafter, it was also reported that Guantánamo successfully rejoined the grid. This announcement came just an hour after the electric microgrid in Granma province collapsed for the second time since the country went into a total blackout on Wednesday morning. On Thursday, the National Electric Union (UNE) provided details on the situation in Granma, where a hybrid microgrid was activated, powered by equipment in Manzanillo, Bayamo, and Niquero. This was supplemented by the integration of solar inverters from local photovoltaic parks.
Osvany Núñez Peña, the technical director of the provincial Electric Company, stated that at one point, 27 MW were successfully distributed, primarily to supply hospitals and ensure water pumping to Bayamo and Manzanillo. However, this semblance of stability was short-lived: at 4:58 PM on Wednesday, the photovoltaic system disconnected due to disturbances, plunging the area back into darkness.
The partial restoration took more than half an hour and once again relied heavily on diesel plants, which faced severe fuel shortages. By early morning, Granma was only able to provide between 11 and 16 megawatts, an inadequate amount for a province with nearly 800,000 residents. Núñez Peña warned that these microgrids are not robust, and any disturbance can lead to their disconnection.
Artemisa and Granma's partial reconnection occurred shortly after Santiago de Cuba regained power following more than 24 hours without electricity. In this case, the official announcement was as brief as it was optimistic, though even state media had to admit that a "deficit in generation capacity persists" and that only a few circuits had been restored.
The reality is stark: as of Thursday at 6:00 AM, Cuba was generating a mere 1,000 MW, far below the actual demand, which exceeds 3,000 MW. Entire provinces remained in complete darkness, and intermittent power outages were common even in so-called "reconnected" areas. This marks the fifth national blackout in less than a year and the second in 2025, highlighting the government's failure to provide a stable electricity service.
Since 2024, the Guiteras plant has collapsed multiple times, compounded by failures in substations, transmission lines, and the impact of natural disasters like Hurricane Rafael. Despite official statements celebrating provincial reconnections, the reality is that the country remains engulfed in uncertainty. Aged energy infrastructure, lack of genuine investment, and reliance on makeshift solutions condemn millions of Cubans to live amid power outages and unfulfilled promises.
Understanding Cuba's Ongoing Power Crisis
What caused the recent nationwide blackout in Cuba?
The blackout was caused by the collapse of Cuba's aging National Electric System, which struggles to maintain stability due to outdated infrastructure and insufficient capacity to meet demand.
How are provinces like Granma attempting to restore power?
Granma has implemented a hybrid microgrid system, utilizing localized equipment and solar inverters from photovoltaic parks to temporarily restore power, although this solution faces stability issues.
Why is Cuba's electric system so vulnerable?
Cuba's electric system is vulnerable due to outdated infrastructure, a lack of significant investment, and a heavy reliance on temporary fixes instead of comprehensive upgrades.