Amid efforts to restore power following a complete collapse of the national electric grid, the Cuban Electric Utility (UNE) has urged residents to refrain from using high-power appliances once electricity is restored to their homes. "The UNE requests that all customers, as they receive electric service, please avoid connecting high-energy-consuming devices," stated state media journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso on social media.
Since last Friday at noon, the national electrical system (SEN) has been entirely down, and engineers from the state-run company have struggled to bring it back online, with the system failing three times during the restoration process. The limited power generated by "microsystems" has proven insufficient to distribute electricity across Cuba or to provide stable power to the nation's thermoelectric plants, preventing them from resuming operations.
The Struggle for Stability
This precarious situation has resulted in volatile fluctuations between energy demand and supply, leading to breakdowns in thermoelectric units and leaving some customers without power for over 48 hours. The UNE addressed these affected individuals, partly shifting the responsibility for the success or failure of their restoration efforts onto them.
"It's crucial for everyone to help stabilize the electric system gradually, avoiding sudden demands that it cannot yet handle, which could cause it to collapse again," the UNE explained, as reported by Alonso.
Disconnect Between Authorities and Public Hardships
Beyond the technical uncertainties in their decision-making, the UNE's message highlights the disconnect between Cuban regime authorities and the struggles faced by thousands of Cuban families, who have been left without light, water, and food due to the widespread blackout. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans still without electricity fear the losses this energy crisis is causing in their homes.
"52 hours without power and it's still not back; all my food has spoiled, and I'm at my wit's end," Cuban activist Adelth Bonne Gamboa expressed on Facebook, capturing the sentiment of those still enduring the aftermath of the SEN collapse.