Cuba: Cuba’s national power grid has suffered a major collapse, triggering widespread blackouts across the country, including the capital, Havana. Millions were left without power as officials rushed to restore the failing system.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines reported that an electrical substation in Havana failed around 8:15 p.m. local time, causing a chain reaction that disrupted the national electrical system (SEN). The outage affected vast areas of western Cuba, with reports of blackouts extending as far as Guantánamo, Artemisa, Santiago de Cuba, and Santa Clara.
Havana’s iconic waterfront skyline is in darkness, with only a few tourist hotels operating on backup generators. Internet services were also impacted, compounding communication difficulties.
Authorities stated on X that they were “working on the recovery process.” The Electric Union, Cuba’s state-run electricity provider, had previously warned of significant shortfalls in power supply, estimating a peak demand of 3,250 megawatts with a deficit of 1,380 megawatts—equating to 42 percent of the national system shutting down.
Actualización restablecimiento del SEN 🇨🇺
Ya comenzaron a sincronizar unidades de generación que fortalecen los microsistemas conformados, incrementando el número de usuarios con servicio eléctrico en varias provincias de #Cuba pic.twitter.com/ld0G3TcCIS— Ministerio de Energía y Minas de Cuba 🇨🇺 (@EnergiaMinasCub) March 15, 2025
This latest grid failure comes with months of rolling blackouts that have strained daily life in Cuba. Many homes rely on electricity for cooking and water access, worsening an already severe crisis marked by food, medicine, and water shortages.
The island’s ageing power infrastructure has struggled under the weight of economic difficulties, fuel shortages, and extreme weather events. The government has launched efforts to develop solar energy capacity, promising the completion of multiple photovoltaic parks this year.
Blackouts have previously sparked anti-government protests in Cuba, with demonstrations recorded in 2021, 2022, and 2024.
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