The Electric Union (UNE) reported on Saturday at 12:46 PM that a trip in the 220 kV Nuevitas-Las Tunas transmission line caused a partial disconnection of the National Electro-energetic System (SEN) in eastern Cuba.
This incident occurs during one of the most challenging periods for Cuba's electrical system this year. By 6:00 AM on Saturday, the SEN was already experiencing 1,222 MW in outages, with only 1,250 MW available against a projected demand of 2,900 MW, resulting in an estimated shortfall of 1,680 MW.
The 220 kV line linking Nuevitas and Las Tunas is a vital electrical corridor. Its failure can electrically isolate the entire eastern region, encompassing Las Tunas, Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo.
This latest incident follows a regional disconnection that occurred just two days earlier. A fluctuation in the transmission lines had taken Unit 1 of the Lidio Ramón Pérez thermoelectric plant in Felton offline, cutting power from Holguín to Guantánamo.
Last Tuesday's report already highlighted the system's extreme vulnerability: units from the thermoelectric plants in Renté, Felton, Santa Cruz, Nuevitas, and Antonio Guiteras—the largest plant in the country, located in Matanzas—were either under maintenance or experiencing breakdowns, leaving the SEN with no buffer against any transmission failures.
In 2026 alone, the SEN has faced at least eight total disconnections: two in March—with the March 16 event lasting 29 hours and 29 minutes—three in July, two in August, and one on September 18, the latter caused by the trip of two high-voltage lines originating in Matanzas, with a restoration time of 14 hours and 45 minutes.
In addition to total disconnections, there have been numerous partial regional outages, with the eastern region suffering the most. On August 27, a fluctuation isolated the area from Las Tunas to Guantánamo after units from Felton, the Diez de Octubre Thermoelectric Plant, and the Antonio Maceo Thermoelectric Plant went offline; reconnection was not achieved until the following day.
The generation crisis is structural: the system chronically operates with deficits exceeding 1,000 MW, and residents in eastern Cuba endure power outages lasting over 20 hours daily.
On October 1 and 2, the maximum impact reached 2,059 MW and 2,130 MW respectively, numbers that underscore the scale of the energy collapse preceding this latest incident on Saturday.
Following the year's eighth total disconnection in September, the UNE had announced that the system remained connected "from Pinar del Río to Nuevitas," implying that the east was isolated. With this Saturday's trip, this scenario once again becomes a reality for millions of Cubans.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
What caused the power outage in eastern Cuba?
The outage was caused by a trip in the 220 kV transmission line between Nuevitas and Las Tunas, leading to a partial disconnection of the National Electro-energetic System (SEN) in eastern Cuba.
How severe is the electricity crisis in Cuba?
Cuba's electricity crisis is severe, with chronic operational deficits exceeding 1,000 MW, and frequent outages lasting over 20 hours daily in some regions.
What is the impact of the power outages on eastern Cuba?
The outages have left the eastern region electrically isolated, affecting provinces such as Las Tunas, Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, and Guantánamo, causing significant disruptions to daily life.