Lázaro Manuel Alonso, a state-affiliated journalist, has disclosed the reasons behind the power outage that has plunged the entire western region of Cuba into darkness since early Wednesday morning.
According to his Facebook post, a failure occurred around 5:00 a.m. in a transmission line connecting the Santa Cruz del Norte thermoelectric plant to the Guiteras plant in Matanzas. This malfunction resulted in an overload on the parallel line, ultimately leading to a breakdown in the electrical system.
The report states that several generating units went offline at the thermoelectric plants in Mariel, Santa Cruz del Norte, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in Cienfuegos, and Felton in Holguín.
Alonso mentioned that the latter two are currently in the process of restarting, while a technical team is actively working on recovery efforts.
He also assured that the restoration process will be "quicker" since the system did not experience a complete disconnection. Additionally, he confirmed that the energization of substations in the western region has commenced, a crucial step toward progressively restoring service.
The western part of the nation is experiencing a widespread blackout, leaving provinces from Pinar del Río to Cienfuegos without electricity.
Earlier, Alonso had communicated via social media that the Unión Eléctrica (UNE) was investigating the causes of the partial disconnection, though the precise time of occurrence was not disclosed.
The energy situation remains dire, characterized by a persistent and severe generation shortfall.
The energy crisis has reached such critical levels that even the government can no longer conceal its severity.
By mid-September, Cuba had experienced its fifth nationwide blackout in under a year, highlighting the deep-seated structural weaknesses of the National Electric System (SEN).
Just days prior, another massive failure had triggered a general blackout in the eastern region, disconnecting several provinces and causing further disruptions in the west. This was particularly evident after the 220 kV Nuevitas–Tunas line tripped, leaving the system unsynchronized from Las Tunas to Guantánamo.
As the population endures prolonged power outages, recurring failures, and shifting official explanations, the electric crisis continues to worsen with no apparent resolution in sight.
Understanding Cuba's Power Outage Crisis
What caused the recent power outage in western Cuba?
A failure in a transmission line connecting the Santa Cruz del Norte and Guiteras plants led to an overload, causing a breakdown in the electrical system.
How is the restoration process for the power outage progressing?
The process is expected to be quicker as the system did not experience a total disconnection. Energization of substations has already begun to progressively restore service.
How frequent are power outages in Cuba?
In less than a year, Cuba has experienced five nationwide blackouts, indicating chronic structural issues within the National Electric System.