Electric Company Urges Caution: Gradually Connect Devices to Prevent System Overload

The Electric Company in Santiago de Cuba issued an official statement on Tuesday, advising residents to reconnect their electrical devices gradually when power is restored. They urged avoiding simultaneous use of high-consumption appliances due to the fragility of the microsystems operating in the province, which are susceptible to overload and potential collapse.

"Once power is restored to your home, please connect your devices incrementally. Avoid turning on high-demand appliances all at once to maintain the stability of these isolated systems," the Electric Company emphasized in their statement.

The caution against connecting all devices at once addresses a specific technical risk: when many users simultaneously power on air conditioners, refrigerators, and televisions, the spike in demand can exceed the microsystem's capacity, leading to another cascading blackout.

"It is essential for our customers to understand that these are isolated and vulnerable systems, prone to sudden failures or interruptions as long as the contingency lasts," the company added.

This warning comes as the country struggles to recover from the fifth total blackout of the National Electric System in 2026, caused by "a fluctuation in system parameters with a sudden change in frequency" at the Feltón thermoelectric plant.

The entity reported that after activating microsystems across Cuba, circuits 7, 15, 10, and 18 are now operational in a sectionalized manner in Santiago de Cuba, prioritizing areas with hospitals and other critical facilities.

The microsystems in Santiago de Cuba operate with engines from the Santiago del Este and Pavón plants and serve an additional technical function: powering the Renté thermoelectric plant to synchronize its unit 3 and eventually reconnect the province to the national system.