Cuba partially restored electricity service in several provinces on Tuesday, reconnecting the National Energy Grid (SEN, in Spanish) from the western province Pinar del Río to eastern province Holguín 28 hours after a nationwide blackout.
Havana reports 65.3% of customers back online, according to the state-run Electric Union (UNE, in Spanish) and Minem Electricity Director General Lazaro Guerra.
The UNE described the reconnection as a “significant advance” and said work continues to restore the remaining provinces. Guerra told state television that generation is increasing but warned that disruptions remain high due to limited capacity. He further undersacored that the Felton thermoelectric plant in Holguín is essential to reconnect eastern provinces still offline.
Recovery involves creating micro-systems with solar, hydroelectric, and engine sources to energize thermal plants and synchronize them with the system. Priority remains on basic services, especially health, water, and communications. Authorities have not explained the cause of the blackout, the third in 2026, amid the long-standing U.S. blockade.
Cuba’s energy crisis has deepened since January due to the Trump administration’s oil siege blocking imports. Only one oil shipment—100,000 tons from Russia in April—has arrived this year, enough for about 15 days.
The archipelago needs over 100,000 barrels daily but produces only 40,000. The government calls the situation “critical” and “genocidal,” while the UN says the U.S. measure is contrary to international law.
Failures are tied to outdated thermoelectric plants with chronic underinvestment, and independent estimates put the cost of reviving the system at $8–10 billion, according to Spanish news agency EFE.
Author: vmmh
Source: EFE
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