Cuba power outage affecting western provinces as authorities restore the National Electric System following a grid failure.

Power restoration began in Havana after a transmission failure split Cuba’s national electricity grid, affecting five western provinces.

A partial failure of Cuba’s National Electric System (SEN) left five western provinces without electricity on Saturday after two high-voltage transmission lines simultaneously tripped, splitting the national grid and causing a widespread outage, authorities said.

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According to the Cuban Electric Union (UNE), the disruption occurred at 6:07 p.m. local time when the 220-kilovolt transmission lines linking Matanzas with Cienfuegos and Matanzas with Santa Clara went offline at the same time. The incident divided the national grid and caused the western section of the system to collapse.

The outage affected the provinces of Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Havana and Matanzas, temporarily disrupting electricity service for millions of residents across five of western Cuba’s six most populous provinces.

Nota

A las 18:07 ocurrió un disparo simultáneo de las líneas de 220 kV de Mtzas a Cfgos y de Mtzass a Santa Clara provocando la división del SEN y posteriormente la caída de la zona occidental. Quedaron sin servicio Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Mayabeque, La Habana y Matanzas. pic.twitter.com/yQPUjlF2uz

— Unión Eléctrica de Cuba (@OSDE_UNE) August 1, 2026

Text Reads: Note At 18:07, a simultaneous outage occurred on the 220 kV lines from Mtzas to Cfgos and from Mtzass to Santa Clara, causing the division of the SEN and subsequently the blackout in the western region. The provinces of Pinar del Río, Artemisa, Mayabeque, La Habana, and Matanzas were left without service.

The Havana Electric Company said restoration efforts began immediately in the capital. Authorities reported that three substations and eight distribution circuits had been returned to service, restoring electricity to 24,217 customers.

Officials said recovery operations remain underway and cautioned that further outages cannot be ruled out while technicians work to stabilize the system. The utility also urged consumers to conserve electricity and remain patient during the restoration process.

Energy Challenges

The outage comes as Cuba’s power sector continues to face significant operational challenges. Cuban authorities said the country’s electricity infrastructure has been strained by longstanding restrictions on access to fuel, spare parts, technology and international financing, which they attribute to the United States’ economic, commercial and financial blockade, as well as what they describe as an energy blockade affecting the island.

Authorities said contingency measures remain in place to prioritize electricity supplies for essential services, including hospitals, healthcare facilities, water supply systems and civil defense operations, while work continues to restore service across the affected areas.

Power was being restored gradually on Saturday evening, and authorities said they expected electricity service to return to most of the affected territory in the coming hours.

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.