Cuba is working to restore electricity across the island after the national grid collapsed for a second time in 24 hours, according to state-run media.
Lazaro Guerra, Cuba’s top electricity official, said on a morning TV news program that a new grid malfunction in western Cuba forced technicians to reconnect three critical power plants to the system, temporarily halting progress.
“I can’t guarantee that we will complete connecting the system today, but we anticipate significant progress,” Guerra said.
Just before Guerra’s statement, CubaDebate, one of the island’s state-run media outlets, reported that the grid operator, UNE, had experienced a “total disconnection of the national electro-energetic system.”
Guerra did not directly confirm the total collapse, leaving some uncertainty about the exact circumstances.
Cuba’s electrical grid first failed around midday on Friday after one of the island’s largest power plants shut down, suddenly leaving over 10 million without power.
Even before the grid’s collapse, an electricity shortage on Friday prompted Cuba’s communist-run government to send non-essential state workers home and cancel school classes for children in an effort to conserve fuel for power generation.
However, lights began flickering back on in scattered areas across the island early Friday evening, offering some hope of power restoration.
Cuba’s government has blamed weeks of worsening blackouts – often lasting 10 to 20 hours a day across much of the island – on deteriorating infrastructure, fuel shortages, and increasing demand.
Strong winds that began last week have further complicated the island’s ability to transport scarce fuel from offshore boats to power plants, officials have said.
Fuel deliveries to the island have significantly declined this year as Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico, once key suppliers, have reduced their exports to Cuba.
Key ally Venezuela halved its subsidized fuel deliveries to Cuba this year, forcing the island to seek more expensive oil on the spot market.
Cuba’s government also blames the U.S. trade embargo, as well as sanctions imposed under , for ongoing difficulties in acquiring fuel and spare parts to operate and maintain its oil-fired plants.
The United States on Friday denied any involvement in the grid collapse in Cuba.