What happened to Cuba's power grid?

HAVANA — A new, widespread power outage plunged Cuba into darkness on Wednesday after one of the island's major power plants failed, leaving millions without electricity and forcing authorities to suspend classes and work activities indefinitely. Cuba's power grid collapses again. Why does this keep happening?

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.

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.

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 does Cuba get its power?

Cuba gets its power from large thermoelectric plants like Antonio Guiteras and some smaller ones, which run on crude oil. While the island produces about half of its own crude oil, it must import the remainder, which can be difficult — and costly — due to U.S. sanctions.

Does Cuba have a comprehensive energy policy?

Currently, the global power generation sector is undergoing a massive transformation, as a result of increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions and rapid and profound technological developments in renewable energy. Cuba lacks a detailed strategic roadmap towards a comprehensive national energy policy that addresses these challenges.