Cuba in Darkness: Island Nation Faces Fourth Major Blackout in Six Months as Energy Crisis Deepens

In the twilight hours of Friday, March 14, 2025, Cuba plunged into darkness. What began as flickering lights and power fluctuations quickly cascaded into a nationwide blackout, leaving more than 10 million people without electricity. As dawn broke on Saturday, the majority of Cubans were still waiting for the lights to come back on—more than 12 hours after the initial failure. This marks the fourth major power collapse in just six months, highlighting the deepening energy crisis that threatens to further destabilize an economy already on the brink.

The Immediate Cause: A Substation Failure Triggers Cascade

According to Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines, the blackout began at approximately 8:15 PM local time on Friday when a failure at the Diezmero substation outside Havana triggered a “significant loss of generation in western Cuba.” As reported by CNN Español, this initial failure rapidly escalated, causing a domino effect that brought down the entire National Electric System (SEN).

The pattern has become distressingly familiar to Cubans. In the hours before the total collapse, residents across Havana and other regions experienced strong power fluctuations and intermittent outages—warning signs of the system’s instability. These precursors to failure have become recognized harbingers of a bigger collapse, creating anxiety among a population already conditioned to power uncertainties.

As of Saturday afternoon, electricity had been partially restored to only a fraction of the country. The state-owned electric company, Unión Eléctrica (UNE), reported that they were providing approximately 110 megawatts through isolated “microsystems”—a mere fraction of the daily demand that can reach up to 1,800 megawatts and surge beyond 3,200 megawatts during peak evening hours, according to reporting from Infobae.

A Systemic Crisis Decades in the Making

This latest blackout is not an isolated incident but rather a symptom of Cuba’s deteriorating energy infrastructure. The country relies primarily on eight aging thermoelectric plants, most constructed between the 1980s and 1990s, which frequently break down due to poor maintenance and lack of spare parts.

These facilities are supplemented by floating power plants rented from a Turkish company and distributed generators that depend on imported fuel—a resource increasingly scarce on the island due to foreign currency shortages. According to France 24, the government has been working “at forced marches” to install at least 55 Chinese-technology solar parks in 2025, which would generate 1,200 megawatts and allow the country to reach 12% renewable energy generation.

By 2030, Cuba plans to generate more than 2,000 megawatts from solar energy, which would bring renewable sources to 37% of its electricity production. However, these future plans offer little comfort to Cubans currently navigating daily life without reliable power.

The Human Impact: A Nation Living in Uncertainty

The practical impact of these recurring blackouts extends far beyond mere inconvenience. In the tropical climate of Cuba, refrigeration is essential for food preservation—a critical concern in a country already facing severe food shortages. Medical facilities must rely on backup generators, with limited fuel supplies putting vulnerable patients at risk.

“One lives in a constant state of alarm,” said Angélica Caridad Martínez, a 50-year-old resident of Camagüey, as quoted by France 24. “I was about to sit down when the light went out, and now I’m not even hungry anymore—it was knocked out of me. This situation is unsustainable; no one can live like this.”

Similar sentiments were expressed by Andrés López, a 67-year-old from Holguín province, who told reporters: “Another general blackout—at this point, this shouldn’t be happening. I wasn’t expecting it, and it bothers me tremendously. Now we’ll see when they turn it back on.”

During the blackout, Havana was completely dark except for hotels and private businesses with generators, as well as hospitals and other strategic centers that maintained emergency power. For ordinary Cubans without access to such resources, the blackout meant another night of disrupted routines, spoiled food, and heightened anxiety.

The Government Response: Microsystems and Short-Term Solutions

In response to the crisis, Cuban officials have implemented a strategy centered on establishing “microsystems”—essentially isolated power grids that can provide electricity to critical facilities while the national grid is being restored. By Saturday morning, according to Minister of Energy and Mines Vicente de la O, these microsystems were operating in 12 of Cuba’s 15 provinces.

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz attempted to reassure the public on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Given the unexpected disconnection of the national electrical system, work is already underway without rest for its earliest recovery.” However, such promises ring increasingly hollow for a population that has endured multiple similar breakdowns in recent months.

The government’s approach to restoring power follows a now-familiar pattern: activating microsystems powered by large generators using fuel oil or diesel, then interconnecting them, and finally bringing current to the major power plants to restart and synchronize them with the National Electric System. This complex process, which has faced setbacks in previous blackouts, has sometimes stretched over several days. During past outages, authorities have suspended work and school activities nationwide—a measure they have not yet announced for this current blackout.

The Deeper Causes: Infrastructure Decay and Economic Crisis

The fundamental causes of Cuba’s energy crisis run deeper than individual equipment failures. Independent experts point to chronic underfunding of the energy sector, which has been entirely state-controlled since the 1959 revolution. Various independent calculations estimate that between $8 billion and $10 billion would be needed to revitalize the National Electric System—an investment far beyond the reach of a government facing its worst economic crisis in three decades.

According to official figures cited by Infobae, the Cuban economy contracted by 1.9% in 2023 and showed no growth in 2024. GDP remains below 2019 levels and, despite government projections of 1% growth in 2025, analysts question whether even this modest target is achievable given the ongoing energy crisis.

The power generation deficit reached 57% in February, the highest level in at least two years. Daily outages of four to five hours are common in Havana, while in other provinces, blackouts can extend beyond 20 hours—creating almost uninhabitable conditions that contribute to the ongoing exodus of Cubans from the island.

Political Dimensions: Blame and Opposition

The Cuban government has consistently attributed the energy crisis to U.S. economic sanctions, which were intensified during Donald Trump’s first term as president (2017-2021) and limit the regime’s access to financial markets and energy suppliers. With Trump now serving as the 47th President of the United States after his 2024 election victory, these tensions may further heighten. Critics, however, point to the Cuban government’s failure to invest in infrastructure and implement necessary reforms as the primary cause of the energy system’s collapse.

The political dimensions of the crisis were highlighted by Cuban-American Congressman Carlos Giménez, who used the occasion of the blackout to call for change on the island. “CUBA IS UNDER A TOTAL BLACKOUT. 65 years of communist dictatorship have destroyed the electrical grid. The regime is so incompetent & cruel it refuses to provide basic services to the population. The Cuban people want freedom. The time is now,” Giménez posted on X, according to CiberCuba.

🚨 CUBA IS UNDER A TOTAL BLACKOUT

65 years of Communist dictatorship has destroyed the electrical grid. The regime is so incompetent & cruel it refuses to provide basic services to the population.

The Cuban people want freedom. The time is now.

— Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (@RepCarlos) March 15, 2025

Giménez, who left Cuba in 1960 at the age of six, has been a consistent critic of the regime’s explanations for its failures. With the return of Donald Trump to the White House, Giménez has increased pressure on the Cuban government, warning of “biblical proportions” challenges ahead for the regime amid growing tensions with the United States.

For ordinary Cubans, these political dimensions add another layer of uncertainty to their daily struggle for basic services. According to reporting from Infobae, the frequent power outages have sparked social unrest across the island in recent years. Notable instances include the widespread demonstrations of July 11, 2021, which were among the largest seen in Cuba in decades. Additional protests occurred in the summer of 2022 in Havana and the eastern city of Nuevitas, followed by more demonstrations in Santiago de Cuba and other eastern localities on March 17, 2024. The recurring pattern of blackouts followed by public demonstrations illustrates how the energy crisis has become a critical flashpoint for expressing broader social and political discontent.

Looking Forward: Uncertain Solutions to a Deepening Crisis

The path forward for Cuba’s energy sector remains unclear. The immediate focus is on restoring power through the gradual reconnection of the national grid, a process that has taken days in previous blackouts. In the medium term, the government’s push for renewable energy, particularly solar power, represents an attempt to diversify away from dependence on fossil fuels and aging thermoelectric plants.

However, these solutions face significant obstacles. The solar parks require substantial investment, and the timeline for their completion is uncertain. Meanwhile, the existing infrastructure continues to deteriorate, making future blackouts increasingly likely.

The energy crisis also complicates Cuba’s broader economic challenges. Without reliable electricity, industrial production falters, tourism suffers, and the already limited domestic production of goods and services becomes even more constrained. This creates a vicious cycle: the weak economy limits investment in energy infrastructure, while energy shortages further weaken the economy.

For a nation already grappling with food shortages, medicine scarcity, high inflation, and mass emigration, the persistent energy crisis represents an existential threat to stability. As Cubans wait for the lights to come back on from this latest blackout, many wonder how many more such crises they can endure—and whether fundamental changes in the country’s economic and political systems might ultimately be the only sustainable solution.

What is clear is that the status quo is increasingly untenable. As one resident told France 24, “This situation is unsustainable; no one can live like this.” Whether through internal reforms, international assistance, or political change, Cuba desperately needs to find a path toward energy security if it is to avoid further deterioration of its economic and social fabric.

As this fourth major blackout in six months unfolds, the Cuban people find themselves once again adapting to life in the dark—literally and figuratively—while hoping that sustainable solutions may yet emerge from the current crisis.