Nationwide blackout in Cuba back on October 20, 2025
Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images
Cuba is bracing for power outages affecting almost two-thirds of the population during peak demand hours, as the state utility projects an electricity deficit of almost 2,000 megawatts, the highest level of disconnection recorded since systematic energy data began in 2022. In some regions, blackouts are lasting up to 20 hours a day.
According to the state-run Unión Eléctrica (UNE), generation capacity during evening peak hours is expected to reach 1,185 megawatts against an estimated demand of 3,180 megawatts. The resulting shortfall of 1,995 megawatts will require planned service cuts totaling 2,025 megawatts to prevent uncontrolled grid failures.
Eight of Cuba's 16 thermal power units are currently offline due to breakdowns or maintenance, as Euronews reported. Thermal plants account for roughly 40% of the country's electricity mix. Another 40% typically comes from distributed generation systems fueled by diesel and fuel oil, but that segment has been largely halted since January due to fuel shortages, authorities have acknowledged.
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The island has faced a deepening energy crisis since mid-2024. The government attributes worsening conditions to tighter U.S. fuel restrictions, while other analysts cite chronic underinvestment in an electricity system managed entirely by the state since 1959. Estimates suggest between $8 billion and $10 billion would be required to rehabilitate the grid.
Fuel supply disruptions have compounded the crisis. Last week, a tanker believed to be carrying approximately 200,000 barrels of Russian gas oil diverted away from Cuba. Additionally, supplies from Venezuela ceased after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro in early January, and Mexico has reportedly halted sales amid concerns over U.S. sanctions. In all, Cuba received no oil shipments in January for the first time in a decade.
Francisco Pichón, the United Nations' top official in Cuba, warned last week that the crisis poses "acute humanitarian risks," particularly for vulnerable populations. "The risk to people's lives is not rhetorical," he said in a press conference, noting that five million people with chronic illnesses depend on consistent electricity for treatment, including thousands of cancer patients and more than 32,000 pregnant women.
Cuba's economy has contracted by more than 15% since 2020, according to official figures, and prolonged blackouts have featured prominently in recent protests across the island.
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