Cuba says electrical grid back online, generation still lagging

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba said late on Wednesday it had reconnected its national electrical grid, though generation remained far below demand one day after a plant failure knocked out power to millions across the island.

Cuba's Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy confirmed on X that the grid was back online just before midnight on Wednesday.

But around the same time, the National Electric Union (UNE) said on social media it was "serving" 880 MW into the system, a fraction of the typical peak demand of 3,200 MW, suggesting that a large swath of the Caribbean island remained without electricity.

A majority of Cuba's residents suffer hours-long, rolling blackouts on a daily basis even when the grid is functional.

Cuba's electrical grid has been on the brink of collapse for years, as fuel shortages, a string of natural disasters and economic crisis have left the island's government unable to maintain the system's decrepit infrastructure.

Dwindling oil imports from Venezuela, Russia and Mexico tipped the system into full crisis this year, leading to several nationwide blackouts that have sparked unrest and increasing anger among the population.

The blackouts, together with food, medicine and water shortages, have vastly complicated life on the island and driven a record-breaking exodus of its residents since 2020.

Cuba's communist-run government blames the crisis on the decades-old U.S. trade embargo, which stymies some financial transactions and makes it more difficult to purchase fuel and spare parts.

Source: Investing.com