Cuba Grid Splits in East as 1,680 MW Shortfall Looms

ENERGY · CUBA

A transmission line failure on Saturday partly cut eastern Cuba off the national grid. It deepens a Cuba blackout crisis that already leaves millions without power for hours a day. The state utility said the 220 kV line linking Nuevitas and Las Tunas tripped at 12:46 p.m. local time, the same as US Eastern time. For Americans, Cuba’s fuel shortage sits at the centre of US sanctions policy and of migration to the United States.

Unión Eléctrica (UNE), the state company that runs the grid, called it a partial disconnection of the eastern zone. The state news site Cubadebate reported the same partial disconnection on Saturday afternoon.

The failure came on 10 October, a national holiday marking the 1868 uprising against Spanish rule. President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who also leads the ruling Communist Party, led the ceremony in Havana’s Plaza de Armas, Cubadebate reported. The 1868 revolt began at La Demajagua, near Manzanillo in the east.

A Grid Already Short Before the Line Failed

The eastern Cuba blackout landed on a system that was already far short of demand. At 6 a.m. on Saturday, UNE reported 1,250 MW available against demand of 2,470 MW. That left 1,222 MW of customers without power. The figures come from Cubadebate, as reported by OnCuba, a Miami-based Cuban news outlet.

For the evening peak, UNE forecast demand of 2,900 MW. With availability still at 1,250 MW, that is a gap of 1,650 MW, and UNE projected cuts of 1,680 MW at the worst point of the night. That means more than half of peak demand would go unserved.

Friday was worse. Power was cut somewhere in Cuba for all 24 hours, and the peak shortfall reached 1,886 MW at 7:30 p.m., UNE said.

Several large plants were out of service. UNE listed unit 2 of the Felton plant and units 3 and 6 of the Renté plant as broken down. Unit 3 at Santa Cruz, unit 5 at Nuevitas and unit 5 at Renté were in maintenance. Felton is in Holguín and Renté in Santiago de Cuba, both in the east.

Solar parks helped by day, delivering 3,830 MWh on Friday and a midday peak of 596 MW. They produce nothing after dark, when demand is highest.

Why Fuel Is the Real Shortage

Lázaro Guerra Hernández is director general of electricity at the Ministry of Energy and Mines. He said more than 1,200 MW of capacity is ready but idle for lack of imported fuel. He spoke on the state channel Canal Caribe, according to CiberCuba, a Spain-based outlet critical of the government.

He also said Cuba had completed only one fuel import this year. It was a Russian government donation that reached the Matanzas supertanker base on 31 March. That claim was not independently confirmed.

The rest of the system runs on Cuban crude, associated gas and solar power. Cuban crude is heavy and high in sulphur, which wears down the ageing thermal plants that burn it.

Washington is part of this story. US agents in Florida and Texas recently stopped fuel bound for a sanctioned Cuban state company. Details are in US Seizes 90 Cuba-Bound Fuel Shipments. At the same time, US fuel exports to Cuba hit a record in August, as set out in US Ships US$75 Million of Fuel to Cuba in August.

The stabiliser is limited but real. The Antonio Guiteras plant in Matanzas, Cuba’s largest, rejoined the grid overnight and was producing 155 MW on Saturday, CiberCuba reported. Mr Guerra said cuts on Saturday would stay high but fall below Friday’s.

What It Means for You

US travellers heading to Holguín, Santiago de Cuba or the Guardalavaca beach resorts should plan for long cuts during this Cuba blackout. Ask hotels and private hosts about generators before you book.

Mobile data and Wi-Fi often fail when towers lose power. Carry cash, offline maps and charged power banks. Water pumps also stop without electricity, so keep bottled water at hand.

For Cuban-American families, the outage raises demand for solar panels, batteries and fuel sent from Florida. Check current US rules on what may be shipped before sending equipment.

For investors, the grid data are a gauge of how long Cuba’s economic crisis may last. Fuel, not generating plants, is the binding limit for now. Earlier forecasts are in Cuba Grid Operator Forecasts 1,920 MW Blackout Monday.

What Is Not Known

UNE has not said which eastern provinces lost power, how many customers were affected or what caused the line to trip. The eastern zone includes Las Tunas, Holguín, Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo, home to several million people.

There is no official time for restoring the line or ending this Cuba blackout. It is also unclear whether any new fuel cargo is on its way, and the government has published no schedule for imports.

Frequently Asked Questions

What caused Saturday’s blackout in eastern Cuba?

Unión Eléctrica, the state utility, said the 220 kV transmission line between Nuevitas and Las Tunas tripped at 12:46 p.m. on Saturday 10 October, partly disconnecting the eastern zone from the national grid. It has not given a cause.

How big is Cuba’s power shortfall?

For the evening peak on Saturday, the utility forecast 1,250 MW available against demand of 2,900 MW, a gap of 1,650 MW, and cuts of up to 1,680 MW. On Friday the actual peak shortfall reached 1,886 MW.

Is it safe to travel to eastern Cuba during the blackouts?

The outages are a disruption rather than a security incident. Expect long power cuts, weak mobile service and water shortages, and confirm that your hotel or host has a generator.

Sources: Unión Eléctrica grid notes of 10 October 2026, as published by Cubadebate (daily note, line trip); Cubadebate, 10 October ceremony; OnCubaNews, 10 October 2026; CiberCuba, line trip report, 10 October 2026; CiberCuba, Canal Caribe remarks by Lázaro Guerra Hernández, 10 October 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief