What the Cuban people have feared since the intensification of blackouts has just been confirmed by the nation's leader, Miguel Díaz-Canel: there are no guarantees that the summer months will proceed without disruptions in the electrical service.
This admission came during his new YouTube series, where he discussed the current state of power generation and the short, medium, and long-term projections. Díaz-Canel reiterated what the Electric Union (UNE) announced days ago, that power cuts will increase this month and next due to heightened maintenance work on thermoelectric plants in an effort to ensure service in July and August.
"We are going to have prolonged maintenance until June in order to minimize the inconvenience of blackouts in the summer, especially in the months of July and August," he noted.
Addressing the upcoming months, UNE director Alfredo López Valdés attempted to express optimism by stating, "We are aware that we are experiencing large blackouts, but there is a trend toward improvement."
According to López Valdés, no maintenance work is planned for any thermoelectric plants in July, which does not necessarily mean that everything will run smoothly. "We are going to have the usual system failures and limitations," he clarified.
Díaz-Canel echoed this cautious optimism, assuring that "in July and August, all stations will be operational unless an unforeseen failure occurs."
However, minutes later, López Valdés tempered his statements by adding, "We are not sitting idly by; we are fighting, but we cannot commit to something that today... Can we guarantee no blackouts? No, we cannot commit to that."
The leader backed his expert by stating that achieving zero blackouts under the current conditions is very difficult. "There might be a blackout at a certain time, but we will work to ensure they are not prolonged and not of long duration," Díaz-Canel added.
FAQs on Cuba's Power Outage Situation
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers regarding the current power outage issues in Cuba, as discussed by Miguel Díaz-Canel and Alfredo López Valdés.
Why can't the Cuban government guarantee a summer without blackouts?
The government cannot guarantee a summer without blackouts due to the extensive maintenance work required on thermoelectric plants and the usual system failures and limitations.
What measures are being taken to minimize blackouts during the summer?
Prolonged maintenance work is being conducted until June to minimize the inconvenience of blackouts in July and August.
Will there be maintenance work on thermoelectric plants in July?
No maintenance work is planned for thermoelectric plants in July, but that does not guarantee that everything will go smoothly due to potential system failures and limitations.