Amid growing public frustration over prolonged power outages, leaders from Cienfuegos' Electric Company appeared on the TV show 'Con Energía' to explain the technical reasons preventing circuit rotation in the province, leading to blackouts lasting up to 25 hours straight.
During the broadcast, the company's technical director, Amaury Ojeda Fernández, stated that circuit rotation isn't feasible because the region lacks the energy capacity to implement a schedule that would allow for alternating blackouts. He noted that, at times, only 3 to 4 megawatts are available, meaning just two or three circuits can be active at once.
This issue stems, as explained, from an increase in the province's "disconnection load," which rose from 61 to 71 megawatts with seasonal changes. Recently, the demand for cuts exceeded 73 megawatts, forcing even "non-disconnectable" circuits to be turned off, including those powering strategic economic services and hospitals.
"We don't have the reserves to rotate. That's why circuits have been without power for over 20 to 25 hours," Ojeda Fernández remarked, admitting that the system lacks precise planning capacity. Providing a reliable schedule would be, in his words, "deceptive to the public."
Although the Electric Company asserts that it hasn't changed the protected status of circuits like 92 and 20, they admitted that these have been temporarily shut down "with the consent of Public Health" to meet demand. This has sparked questions and complaints among locals, wondering why some circuits seem to receive preferential treatment.
Authorities also dismissed the possibility of punishing electricity waste in protected circuits, though they acknowledged isolated incidents of fraud and illegal installations to bypass outages. Their oversight, they pointed out, is limited to ensuring compliance with electrical contracts and detecting clandestine connections.
As citizens demand solutions and the synchronization of the third unit of the “Carlos Manuel de Céspedes” thermoelectric plant looms as a hopeful prospect—expected in early April with a nominal power of 158 MW—the province continues to face an energy crisis that authorities admit is hard to resolve in the short term.
The Impact of Unequal Power Distribution
Beyond technical limitations, the extended blackouts have fueled growing discontent among residents, who criticize not only the length of outages but also the uneven distribution between provinces and municipalities. Stories like that of a mother enduring 24 hours without electricity with her sick child have stirred emotions on social media and independent outlets.
While areas like Havana announce outages lasting only four hours, provinces such as Cienfuegos, Holguín, or Sancti Spíritus report interruptions exceeding 20 hours, sparking public outrage and calls for fairer distribution of the load.
In 2022, Havana authorities introduced "solidarity blackouts," a symbolic gesture intended to share the energy burden with other provinces. However, the move faced heavy criticism for its limited effectiveness and was seen as a superficial gesture that didn't alter the capital's energy privileges.
Despite public discontent, the Cuban government has attempted to distance itself from the responsibility. Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy stated that planning outages nationally is "extremely complex," leaving local authorities to shoulder the political weight of the crisis.
The Communist Party's recent involvement in load dispatching is also perceived as an effort to control the narrative amidst growing social unrest. Complaints about energy inequality have gained traction on social media, where users from other provinces voice their frustration over the apparent stability of services in select areas of the capital. In contrast, rural and peripheral circuits face cuts that exceed 28 hours.
Understanding Cienfuegos' Power Crisis
Why can't circuits be rotated in Cienfuegos?
Cienfuegos lacks the necessary energy capacity to implement a rotation schedule, resulting in the inability to alternate blackouts effectively.
What led to the increase in the province's disconnection load?
The increase in disconnection load from 61 to 71 megawatts is attributed to seasonal changes, affecting the energy capacity available.
What measures have been taken to manage the demand?
Some protected circuits have been temporarily shut down with Public Health's approval to manage the demand, raising questions about preferential treatment.
How have residents reacted to the power outages?
Residents have expressed growing frustration over not only the duration of outages but also the perceived inequality in their distribution across different regions.