Spanish
The energy crisis will cause blackouts throughout the day in Cuba that will affect 44% of the country simultaneously during the afternoon-evening when the demand for energy increases, the state-owned company Unión Eléctrica (UNE) reported this Friday.
The main causes of the energy landscape are the frequent breakdowns in thermal power plants with decades of overexploitation and the fuel deficit, according to the Government, which also acknowledges that it lacks foreign currency to meet needs.
The crisis is reflected in the four national blackouts that have affected the electrical service since the end of last year.
In February of this year, the highest deficit rate was recorded so far in 2025 - and in at least the last two years - with 57% of the country simultaneously experiencing a blackout.
The UNE, belonging to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, forecasts for the "peak hour" of this day a maximum electrical generation capacity of 2,220 megawatts (MW) and a demand of 3,850 MW.
The deficit (the difference between supply and demand) will be 1,630 MW and the impact (what is actually disconnected to avoid a disorderly blackout) will reach 1,700 MW in the afternoon-evening, when demand increases.
The company report details breakdowns and maintenance in five of the 20 thermoelectric production units (distributed across seven power plants). In addition, 46 electric generation engines are out of service due to a lack of diesel or fuel oil.
Independent experts point out that the energy crisis is due to chronic underfunding of this sector, completely in the hands of the Cuban state since the triumph of the revolution in 1959. The Cuban government, for its part, highlights the effects of US sanctions on this sector.
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Various independent calculations estimate that the Government would need between 8,000 and 10,000 million dollars to revive the electrical grid.
Frequent blackouts are hampering the Cuban economy, which contracted by 1.9% in 2023 and did not grow last year, according to government estimates. According to these figures, the island's GDP remains below 2019 levels and will not surpass them in 2025, for which the Executive forecasts a 1% increase.
