Is Cuba generating enough electricity?

Cuba said it was generating only enough electricity to cover about one-sixth of peak demand late on Wednesday, hours after its national grid collapsed leaving millions without power.

Why is the Cuban electric power system losing its operations?

The so-called thermal generation is the basis of the Cuban Electric Power System, but it suffers from the handicap of an aging and overexploited infrastructure. In addition, it has been losing part of its operations, following the withdrawal of the Mariel, Renté, Nuevitas units and the historic Tallapiedra plant in Havana.

How many people have seen power restored in Cuba?

The local electric company said more than 260,000 clients had seen power restored. It was the latest in a string of countrywide blackouts of Cuba's antiquated and increasingly frail power generation system. This year, Cuba's grid fell into near-total disarray, stressed by fuel shortages, natural disaster and economic crisis.

What happened to Cuba's power grid this year?

This year, Cuba's grid fell into near-total disarray, stressed by fuel shortages, natural disaster and economic crisis. Dwindling oil imports from Venezuela, Russia and Mexico pushed the island's obsolete and struggling oil-fired power plants into full crisis several months ago.

How does Cuba get its power?

Officials said the state-owned power company UNE was using distributed generation to provide power to some areas of the island and that a gas-fired thermoelectric plant was starting operations. Cuba gets its power from huge thermoelectric plants like Antonio Guiteras and some smaller ones, which require crude oil to operate.

What happened to Cuba's largest power plant?

The collapse of Cuba’s largest power plant, Antonio Guiteras in the northwestern province of Matanzas, is behind the latest blackout. Set up in 1988, it had been undergoing extensive maintenance for days after operating all summer.