Electricity gradually returns to Cuba after substation failure left millions in the dark

A street vendor walks along the Malecon looking for customers during a general blackout in Havana, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

HAVANA — Electricity service in Cuba was gradually restored Sunday, more than 36 hours after a substation failure left the entire island in the dark.

Union Electrica, the state agency responsible for the electric grid, reported that most of the capital, Havana, and eastern parts of the country had power. It expected service to return to western areas on Sunday, too.

The massive blackout that began Friday night was the fourth in the last six months as a severe economic crisis plagues the Caribbean country. The Ministry of Energy and Mines attributed it to a failure at a substation in the suburbs of Havana.

The latest power outage affected phone, internet and water services. Many families also could not cook because they use electric equipment to prepare their meals.

Cuba suffered similar blackouts in October, November and December. The latest was the first of 2025 but in mid-February authorities suspended classes and work activities for two days due to a shortage of electricity generation that exceeded 50% in the country.

The outages come as Cubans are experiencing a severe economic crisis that analysts have blamed on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a program of domestic measures that triggered inflation and, above all, the tightening of sanctions by the United States.

Experts have said the electricity disruptions are a result of fuel shortages at power plants and aging infrastructure. Most plants have been in operation for more than 30 years.

The government has contracted floating power generating plants from Turkey in recent months to meet peak demand, especially during the sweltering tropical summer. The government has also promised that dozens of solar power parks would begin operating in 2025.