Overview
- A total national grid collapse occurred on Friday, Sept. 18, leaving millions without power after a reported failure in high‑voltage transmission lines that was worsened by unstable weather.
- State utility Unión Eléctrica and the energy ministry say restoration protocols are active and that limited service has been brought back first to hospitals and to small distribution ‘micro‑islands’.
- Cuban officials blame U.S. fuel restrictions for severely cutting diesel and spare‑part imports, while U.S. authorities and outside reporting point to long‑standing underinvestment and mismanagement of aging thermoelectric plants.
- The outages are part of a pattern of recurring collapses that have included at least six major incidents this year and 12 since late 2024, producing long blackouts that disrupt water, communications, food storage and health services.
- Beyond immediate hardship, the crisis risks deeper humanitarian and economic effects because Cuba relies on imported fuel to run power plants and backup generators and has limited capacity to repair or replace failing transmission equipment.