HAVANA (AP) — Cuba’s power grid went down Friday after one of the country’s main power plants failed, a day after widespread power outages occurred across the Caribbean island, but there is no word on when service will be restored. There was no formal estimate.
Cuba’s Energy Ministry announced that the power grid went out at around 11 a.m. local time on Friday, hours after the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant was shut down. The newspaper said state-owned power company UNE is using distributed generation to supply electricity to some areas, and gas-fired power plants have also started operating.
But as darkness began to fall, millions of Cubans remained without power.
Even in a country accustomed to frequent power outages amid a deepening economic crisis, Friday’s supply collapse was unprecedented in modern times, save for incidents associated with severe hurricanes like 2022. The Associated Press has issued various calls for clarification on the extent of the power outage. There was no response Friday. In addition to the Antonio Guiteras factory, there are several other factories in Cuba, but it was not immediately clear whether they continued to function.
“The power went out at 8am, and now it’s 5pm and there’s no electricity anywhere,” said Luis González, a 73-year-old retiree living in Havana.
Early Friday, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero sought to reassure concerned citizens about Thursday night’s power outage, which was already the country’s worst in at least two years.
Officials said 1.64 gigawatts were offline at the peak, about half of total demand at the time. Millions of people were without power and on Friday the government took emergency measures to reduce demand, including suspending classes, closing some state-owned workplaces and canceling non-essential services.
“The situation has worsened in recent days,” Marrero said in a special address on state television early Friday. “We have to be completely transparent… We are shutting down our economy to ensure energy security for our people.”
Marrero was accompanied in his speech by UNE Secretary-General Alfredo López, who said Thursday’s power outage was caused by an increased demand for air conditioning in small businesses and homes, as well as the failure of an old thermoelectric power plant that failed. Not properly maintained and lack of fuel to operate some facilities.
Marrero said changes to electricity rates for small businesses, which have skyrocketed since they were first approved by the Communist government in 2021, are also being considered.
Marrero sought to provide reassurance about the outages, citing an expected influx of fuel supplies from Cuba’s national oil company.
“We are dedicating our absolute priority to addressing and resolving this very delicate energy emergency,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote to X, adding, “We will not rest until recovery. ” he said.
Power outages have left millions of Cubans in limbo. On Thursday night, residents closed doors and windows that are usually left open at night, and the light of candles and lanterns could be seen inside their homes. As of Friday night, there were no signs that a resolution was imminent.
Yasnay Pérez, a Havana resident, said sarcastically that he was happy to go swimming, as long-term power outages have affected water and other services in the past.
“We can use all our survival (skills),” she said.
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