Amid the ongoing blackout crisis, ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged in a recent interview that Cuba is experiencing “a very complex situation in the energy sector.” The situation has become so dire that the Matanzas Electrical Company announced this Wednesday via its Telegram channel that it is forced to offer its customers a rotation of two hours of electricity and six hours of outages per day. This means a total of six hours of service and 18 hours of blackouts daily.
“Dear customers, due to the complex situation of the National Electric System (SEN) and the resulting growing generation capacity deficit, it is not possible to adhere to the rotation as scheduled,” the Matanzas company reported, acknowledging that the country’s generation capacity is even lower than estimated by the Union Eléctrica de Cuba (UNE).
For this reason, the state-run company led by Dioelvis Sollet Mosqueda decided to change its blackout schedule and “attempt to provide electricity service for approximately 2 hours and 6 hours of outages, depending on demand behavior.”
“The restoration of service will depend on demand behavior and system availability,” the company noted, offering the only possible consolation to customers who pay their electric bills month after month.
The uncertainty and despair among Cubans due to the current energy crisis are starting to take a toll on official journalists and other regime loyalists. This is evident in the latest posts from Radio Rebelde journalist in Matanzas, José Miguel Solís, who merely shared a screenshot on social media with the information from the Matanzas Electrical Company on Telegram.
With this outlook and temperatures in Cuba reaching record highs of 40 degrees in May, the UNE indicated on May 8 that blackouts will increase during June due to heightened maintenance activities at several Thermoelectric Plants (CTE).
“As has been reported from January to June, maintenance activities at Thermal Plants, Energás, and Distributed Generation will increase in preparation for the months of higher consumption and electric demand, which are July and August, also the months when the population rests,” explained the company led by Alfredo López Valdés.
Understanding Cuba's Energy Crisis
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers to help you better understand the energy crisis in Cuba and its impact on daily life.
Why is Cuba experiencing such severe power outages?
Cuba is facing a severe power outage crisis due to a significant deficit in generation capacity, worsened by the deteriorating state of its energy infrastructure and increased maintenance activities at power plants.
How long are the power outages expected to last?
Currently, Matanzas is experiencing a rotation of two hours of electricity followed by six hours of outages. The duration of these blackouts could increase as maintenance activities intensify in June.
What is the government's plan to resolve the energy crisis?
The government, through UNE, is focusing on increasing maintenance activities at various power plants to prepare for the peak consumption months of July and August. However, no long-term solution has been clearly outlined.