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Posted on 03/05/2026 7:18:22 AM PST by dynachrome
A failure at Cuba’s main thermoelectric plant has caused a massive blackout affecting two-thirds of the island, the Cuban government confirmed Wednesday. The partial collapse of the island’s National Electric System (SEN) — the second in a month — has left nearly 7 million of the island’s almost 10 million inhabitants without power. The outage is also affecting the capital, Havana.
The government has not yet specified the reasons for the blackout, which is affecting 10 of the country’s 15 provinces, from Camagüey in the east to Pinar del Río in the west. According to state television, an “unforeseen shutdown” of the Antonio Guiteras power plant, the island’s largest generator, caused yet another power outage.
This Wednesday’s outage is the fifth partial blackout — different from a nationwide collapse of the entire electrical system — in less than six months, and the largest so far this year. The incident also reflects the fragile state of the power grid amid U.S. pressure, which has abruptly cut off the supply of Venezuelan crude to Havana and threatened to impose tariffs on any country that provides Cuba with oil, a resource vital for keeping its electrical network running.
(Excerpt) Read more at english.elpais.com ...
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Someone wanted that 1 pole for firewood ?
I blame Antonio.
Someone stunned their beebers in Cuber.
I learned something new today. That 2/3rds of Cuba actually had power.
reminds me of this from Dr. Zhivago...
Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago: I told myself it was beneath my dignity to arrest a man for pilfering firewood. But nothing ordered by the party is beneath the dignity of any man, and the party was right: One man desperate for a bit of fuel is pathetic. Five million people desperate for fuel will destroy a city. That was the first time I ever saw my brother. But I knew him. And I knew that I would disobey the party. Perhaps it was the tie of blood between us, but I doubt it. We were only half tied anyway, and brothers will betray a brother. Indeed, as a policeman, I would say, get hold of a man’s brother and you’re halfway home. Nor was it admiration for a better man than me. I did admire him, but I didn’t think he was a better man. Besides, I’ve executed better men than me with a small pistol.
Does Guantanamo base have electric power? 2/3 of Cuba reportedly has no power. Is Guantanamo in the 2/3 part or the 1/3 part?
Yes, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB, or Gitmo) has electric power, and it is fully independent of Cuba’s national grid.The base has operated as a self-sufficient “islanded” installation since the 1960s, when the U.S. cut ties with Cuba’s utilities after disputes over water and power. It generates 100% of its own electricity (and desalinated water) through on-site systems, with no connection to the Cuban grid.Power Sources at Guantanamo BayPrimary: A modern 20 MW combined-cycle liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plant commissioned in 2023, using imported LNG for efficient, reliable generation.
Renewables: Significant solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays (ground-mounted and rooftop, totaling ~12–19 MW in recent expansions) and wind turbines (four 950 kW units installed in 2005–2006, providing up to 25% during high-wind seasons).
Backup: Diesel generators remain for redundancy.
Microgrid control: Integrates all sources for resilience, allowing periods of near-100% renewable coverage during peak demand.
This setup ensures the base (home to ~6,000 personnel, detention facilities, and operations) maintains continuous power regardless of Cuba’s grid issues.Cuba’s Current Power Situation (March 2026)Cuba is experiencing severe, ongoing blackouts due to aging infrastructure, fuel shortages (exacerbated by U.S. pressure on Venezuelan/Mexican supplies), and plant failures (e.g., boiler leak/shutdown at Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant on March 4, 2026).Reports describe outages affecting most of the island (often “two-thirds” or “western/central regions” from Pinar del Río to Camagüey or Las Tunas).
Eastern provinces (including Guantánamo Province, where the base is located) sometimes retain partial or restored power faster (e.g., Felton plant online in some updates), but widespread rolling blackouts (up to 20+ hours/day) hit much of the country.
As of March 5, 2026, restoration is gradual — some areas (e.g., parts of Havana) have 2–3% back online, with full reconnection efforts ongoing.
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is not part of the affected Cuban grid — it is in the “1/3” (or unaffected/self-powered) category by design. The surrounding Cuban town of Guantánamo may be experiencing outages (as part of eastern/central issues), but the U.S.-controlled base itself remains powered normally.In short: Gitmo has reliable, independent electricity and is unaffected by Cuba’s blackouts. The base’s isolation from Cuban utilities is a deliberate, long-standing feature for security and operational reasons
Cuba has long had blackout problems. Pretty much a daily occurrence. Their infrastructure is a crumbling mess.
The island will never begin to realize its potential until the oppressive regime is replaced.
Net Zero. Well Done Cuba.
Well Cuba is Jury Rigged
Canada to the rescue!
“Communism will work if we only try harder.”
yeah, and they’re not doing it right either ... but next time ...
Just a guess but lack of that old Venezuelan oil might be it. This might lead to the nothing left to lose phase for the populace.
Does that translate to coal/oil fired steam engine?
“...Communism will work if we only try harder...”
We should crate up our elite and “highly intelligent” communists and ship em to Cuba...just to help em out and show em how it’s done properly.../s
Waddya mean?
Cuba is always without power.
Even the US Embassy Baghdad compound has its own electric generation plant, among others. The USG isn't that stupid.
Tragic what those people have been through. It would be amazing to make that place normal again. I just hope we can do it without bringing over hundreds of thousands or even millions of them into America. I have a feeling that’s the way they’re going to wanna do it. Because DC always loves immigrants, and so many people in South Florida have relatives that they want to move in. We have to be very careful. We don’t move in the whole damn island to Florida and destroy the place.
Chronic Communism. Advanced state. Near terminal.
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