Cuba power outage affects more than 10 million amidst aging infrastructure

• Cuba experienced a massive power outage affecting over 10 million people. Officials reported a partial restoration by Saturday morning.
• The outages, attributed to fuel shortages and aging infrastructure, followed three similar incidents at the end of 2024.
• Hurricanes Oscar and Rafael in late 2024 exacerbated the situation by causing significant damage to homes and the power grid.

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Cuba remained largely without power on Saturday, March 15, following a massive outage that impacted more than 10 million people. The grid collapsed on Friday night, March 14, according to a social media post from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, which added that efforts were underway to restore service.

By Saturday morning, officials reported that electricity was partially restored in some cities. However, it was unclear when the entire grid would be back online.

The island nation experienced three outages at the end of 2024, with more than half the country facing power cuts during peak hours. The outages were primarily due to fuel shortages and aging infrastructure, according to The Associated Press.

In many parts of Cuba, electricity is crucial for cooking and water pumping. The situation was exacerbated by Hurricane Oscar, which struck in October, followed by Hurricane Rafael in November, both of which caused significant damage to homes and buildings and further strained the power grid.