A significant power outage hit western Cuba on Wednesday, cutting electricity to millions of residents in the most recent incident as the nation contends with declining oil supplies linked to sanctions from President .
According to the U.S. Embassy in Cuba, a “disconnection of the national electrical grid” occurred around 12:41 p.m., causing a total blackout that extended from Camagüey to Pinar del Río and encompassed the greater Havana metropolitan region.
The embassy stated that ” is becoming increasingly unstable, and both planned and unplanned power cuts happen daily throughout the country, including Havana.”
“These outages impact water supply, lighting, refrigeration, and communications. It is advised to take precautions by conserving fuel, water, food, and mobile phone battery, and to be ready for major disruptions.”
The cause of the blackout was an unplanned failure at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, which is situated about 62 miles east of Havana.
The Associated Press, citing local reports, indicated that it could take a minimum of three days to fully restore power to the island.
Vicente de la O Levy, Cuba’s minister of Energy and Mines, noted that “We are working to restore the SEN (National Electroenergetic System) during a complex energy scenario.”
He confirmed that at least one facility, the Felton 1 power plant, is still functioning.
As Reuters reported, Cuba’s familiarity with frequent outages from state-mandated energy rationing meant some traffic lights and businesses could continue operating using solar panels or backup generators. The news agency also said many citizens have installed solar panels on their homes and vehicles to generate power as fuel prices climb.
A series of extensive blackouts has affected Cuba in recent years, stemming from persistent problems with its old electrical infrastructure and ongoing fuel scarcities.
The energy crisis intensified in January following a U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and stopped Venezuelan oil exports, severing Cuba’s primary fuel source.
In January, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said that even after the U.S. cut off Havana’s energy lifeline, his government Washington to negotiate a new arrangement.
Reuters contributed to this report.