and the electrical system on the verge of collapse
Many Cubans complain on social media and in statements to independent media about being without electricity for up to a day or more.
By Raul Medina Orama (El Toque)
HAVANA TIMES – For two consecutive days, more than half of the island has been without power, according to estimates from the Electric Union (UNE). The country faced another day of blackouts on Thursday, February 13, 2025, with possible outages affecting more than 56% of the national territory.
The energy crisis is leaving the worst numbers of the year in terms of generation deficits and real outages during the first half of February. Let alone in production figures in most sectors of the economy.
UNE admitted on February 13: “The electricity service was affected during the 24 hours of yesterday and remained so throughout the early morning today. The maximum disruption was 1,779 MW at 7:20 p.m.” For today, Thursday, they expect a deficit of 1,740 MW during peak demand (afternoon-evening) and an estimated outage of 1,810 MW. The figures translate into massive power outages.
Lazaro Guerra Hernandez, a Ministry of Energy and Mines official, said on television that “the system’s generation is low” because nine units of the thermoelectric plants remain out of service, “five with breakdowns and four under maintenance.”
Additionally, the two floating power plants in Havana are not operating “due to a lack of fuel.” These ships were rented by the Cuban government from the Turkish company Karpowership (a subsidiary of Karadeniz Holding for naval operations). The official said they expect them to be operational by Friday. Furthermore, the fuel oil engines located in Mariel, which generate about 110 MW, also lack fuel to operate, and there is no diesel available for the generators, according to Lazaro Guerra.
According to data from UNE compiled and analyzed by elTOQUE, during February there have been daily outages ranging from 1,362 MW to 1,770 MW (a record on February 12). This month, no day has seen less than 41% of the country without power during peak demand hours.
A Full Day (and More) Without Electricity in Cuba
Many Cubans complain on social media and in statements to independent media about being without electricity for up to a day or more.
A resident of Consolación del Sur (Pinar del Río) told elTOQUE that the extensive blackouts affecting “more than half of the province” disrupt daily life, including food preparation and his work as a shoemaker.
“Often I have to borrow money to pay the State for the work permit, while the thermoelectric plants in the country are out of service, and we’ve been without power for almost a month,” lamented the person, who has a hearing impairment and requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.
He also criticized that almost no one “has gas canisters to cook. Is there any hope of solving the power issue? The gas sales points tell people, when buying fuel, that ‘it has to last’ for five months. That’s an abuse!”
Jose Ortiz Benet, a resident of Manzanillo, Granma, posted on Facebook that since Wednesday, they’ve been without power for “almost 24 hours” in his circuit.
“Bread and charcoal are now even more scarce on the streets. (…) The vendors shout in a low, almost imperceptible, and fast voice, selling bread. Several merchants have closed their businesses. This morning began without potable water, and in the neighborhood, hardly anyone is up, exhausted from a lack of sleep,” he described the impact of the blackouts in his community.
Cienfuegos is another province heavily affected, according to complaints sent to elTOQUE and reports from the local Electric Company (which has admitted at least 25 continuous hours of blackouts).
Jorge Alberto Amador Valdes, a resident of the Cumbre circuit (Placetas municipality) in Villa Clara, wrote on Facebook: “It seems like they’ve completely disconnected us from the national grid because we’ve been without power for 24 hours.” Another user commented: “Circuit 1 has been without power for 27 hours.”
In Havana, which is generally less affected than other cities, blackouts have also increased, with scheduled six-hour outages during the day and some unscheduled ones at night, according to elTOQUE.
Engineer Lazaro Guerra stated on the Buenos Días television program that “by tomorrow [Friday], they might have three generating units in Nuevitas and one in Rente up and running”; he promised “a higher level of generation.” However, the official admitted that there would still be “many disruptions.”
Cuba’s energy crisis is systemic and has worsened over the past five years. In 2024, there were several instances where more than 50% of the service was affected due to generation deficits, with three nationwide system collapses that plunged the country into a near-total blackout for days.
First published in Spanish by El Toque and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.
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