The Electric Company of Santiago de Cuba announced on Monday a temporary strategy to provide at least five hours of electricity daily. However, they cautioned that this duration might be reduced due to the limited availability of the National Electric System (SEN). The company detailed in a statement that power would be distributed in various time blocks throughout the day, contingent on generation capacity.
Aiming to ensure that "each circuit has at least 5 to 6 hours of service daily, divided throughout the day," the strategy is designed to manage the scarce electricity supply, the note indicated. "If the deficit exceeds the capacity of circuits with service, even those with critical points will be affected to prevent extending interruptions in other circuits," the statement added.
This new rotation will be utilized to provide electricity to the population as the nation grapples with a worsening energy crisis. The announcement did not specify when this plan would be implemented or how long it would last, highlighting the deepening crisis. The company also admitted that, under current circumstances, maintaining the existing block rotation is impossible, leading to increased uncertainty and discomfort for residents.
Government's Prior Warnings Become Reality
The Electric Company's notice aligns with a recent warning from Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, the first secretary of the Communist Party (PCC) in Santiago de Cuba. She alerted that the provincial government could only ensure electricity for three to four hours daily. Johnson attributed the outages to the strained condition of the National Electric System (SEN) and urged the people of Santiago to show "empathy."
Following a dismal Sunday where the entire country experienced 24-hour blackouts due to generation capacity deficits, Cubans faced Monday with predictions of continued outages, in a crisis that seems unending. According to the Electric Union (UNE), Sunday's maximum impact was 1,348 MW (slightly below the 1,421 MW forecast) at 6:30 pm. Power outages persisted throughout the night. At peak demand, 134 MW were affected due to damages caused by Hurricane Rafael in the electric grids (40 MW in Pinar del Río and 94 MW in Artemisa).
For Monday, the forecast included generation deficits affecting 478 MW in the morning, 750 MW by mid-afternoon, and 1,399 MW during peak hours. The ongoing energy crisis in Cuba, which has worsened over recent years, continues to plague the population with extended blackouts, a lack of fuel for cooking, and a climate of uncertainty, particularly in provinces like Santiago de Cuba that have been hard-hit by weather events and even recent earthquakes.