Isabel María García Rey, a resident of Havana, recently took to social media to express her frustration over the unbearable noise produced by a generator from ETECSA, located near the Granma building in Nuevo Vedado. Shortly after her online post, one of the generators was turned off, but as she reported later, it was restarted.
In her initial Facebook video, García Rey captured the sound from her apartment, explaining that the generator runs non-stop throughout the day and night due to almost constant blackouts in the area.
"The noise you hear in the background is much louder in person than what you can hear here. It's the generator from ETECSA running all day, night, and early morning because we're only getting two hours of electricity a day," she stated in the video.
Continuous Noise and Its Health Impacts
García Rey further clarified that this is not a small generator but a large-scale installation. "It sounds like a turbine and runs 24 hours because blackouts are getting longer, from 3 a.m. yesterday to 6 a.m. today—27 hours without power and with that dreadful noise," she wrote, emphasizing that "it's proven to affect health" and that ETECSA "needs to find a solution."
She also criticized the system's logic: "The generator here is enormous, seriously using two tankers of oil daily, and the noise is extreme. In conclusion, it's more costly than if they just kept the power on for this circuit or didn't cut it off for so long. It consumes more than a dragon."
The Broader Energy Crisis
Her complaint arises amid Cuba's worst energy crisis in decades. On June 10, the Electric Union reported a meager availability of just 960 MW against a peak demand of 2,595 MW, leaving over 65% of the national electric grid uncovered. In Havana, power cuts have exceeded 20 hours daily.
To keep its networks operational during outages, ETECSA has deployed generators across the country, leading to a new issue: noise pollution in residential areas where these generators operate continuously.
Cuban regulations set noise limits of 55 dB during the day and 45 dB at night in residential zones, and Environmental Law 81 prohibits sound emissions that exceed these levels or harm health. The World Health Organization warns that prolonged exposure to noise above 45 dB can lead to insomnia, stress, irritability, and increased cardiovascular risk.
Alternative Solutions and Current Measures
This month, ETECSA began installing solar panels and battery banks in some municipalities as an alternative to the generators. However, this measure comes too late for residents like those in the Granma building, who have endured weeks of blackouts and the accompanying noise.
After her complaint, García Rey noted, "The loudest one was turned off about three hours after this post, but today they turned it back on, and it's been making a racket since 6 a.m." She also mentioned, "There are two generators in the same spot."
Understanding the Noise Pollution Issue in Cuba
What is causing the noise pollution in Havana?
The noise pollution in Havana is primarily caused by large generators from ETECSA operating continuously to compensate for extensive power outages in the area.
How does the noise pollution affect residents?
Residents are affected by the constant noise, which can lead to health issues such as insomnia, stress, and increased cardiovascular risk, according to the World Health Organization.
What measures is ETECSA taking to address the issue?
ETCSA has started installing solar panels and battery banks in some areas as a long-term solution to reduce reliance on noisy generators.