The communist country's Energy and Mines Ministry announced Friday that one of Cuba's main power plants had malfunctioned, causing a power outage across the island.
The electrical system at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant was “completely disconnected” at 11 a.m., authorities told X. The outage left millions of Cubans without power in a country that has suffered frequent power outages amid a deepening economic crisis.
The Energy Agency said it was working to restore power.
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On Friday, a person drives a classic American car past a floating generator in Havana that hasn't produced electricity for days. (AP)
The outages that began late Thursday knocked out 1.64 gigawatts during peak evening hours, about half of total demand at the time, Cuban officials said.
“The situation has worsened in recent days,” Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said in a special address on state television early Friday. “We have to be completely transparent…We have shut down economic activity to ensure the energy of our people.”
January 4, 2023, U.S. Embassy in Havana. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco)
“The nation's highest leaders are working to resolve this energy contingency as quickly as possible, and we will not rest until it is restored,” he later wrote of X.
Marrero was accompanied in his speech by Alfredo López, head of the state-run electricity company UNE, who blamed the power outages on increased demand for air conditioning in small businesses and homes, as well as the failure of old thermoelectric equipment. Plants that are not properly maintained and lack of fuel to run some facilities.
Most government employees in Cuba were sent home on Friday to conserve energy. (Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini)
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Earlier in the day, the communist regime closed schools and non-essential industries. Most government employees were sent home to conserve energy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
