- 36+ hour nationwide blackout triggered by Havana substation failure
- Fourth major outage since October, disrupting water, internet, and cooking
- 50% electricity deficit linked to 30-year-old plants and fuel shortages
- Government leasing Turkish power barges, plans 2025 solar parks
Cuba's fragile power grid collapsed Friday night when a critical Havana substation failed, plunging 11 million residents into darkness. This marks the fourth system-wide outage since October 2023, exposing vulnerabilities in infrastructure older than most millennial engineers. The Energy Ministry confirmed restoration efforts prioritized hospitals first, with full service returning gradually through Sunday.
Economic analysts note this crisis intersects with Cuba's worst financial downturn since the 1990s Special Period. Triple-digit inflation, exacerbated by pandemic tourism losses and tightened US sanctions, leaves no funds for grid modernization. Unlike Puerto Rico's post-Maria grid overhaul, Cuba relies on patched Soviet-era equipment - 62% of thermoelectric plants exceeded their 25-year lifespans by 2020.
Regional Insight: Jamaica's 2018 energy pivot offers lessons. By contracting New Fortress Energy for LNG plants and accelerating solar adoption, Kingston reduced outages by 73% in four years. Cuba's solar potential exceeds Jamaica's 20% capacity target, yet only 5% of planned renewable projects materialized since 2019.
The government's stopgap measures include leasing three 150MW Turkish power barges at $12M/month - costs consuming 8% of Q1 2024's export earnings. With Cuban households increasingly dependent on black-market diesel generators, officials promise 37 solar parks will launch by late 2025. Energy experts remain skeptical, noting current solar output covers just 4% of peak demand.
