Cuba begins restoring electricity to Havana, after partial grid collapse
A failed transmission line connecting Havana to Cuba’s largest power plant in Matanzas triggered the morning blackout
Cuba has begun to restore power after a partial collapse of its electrical grid on Wednesday that left capital Havana and much of western Cuba in the dark, the latest incident in an energy crisis that has left millions suffering from prolonged blackouts for months.
Top energy official Lazaro Guerra said a main transmission line connecting Havana with the country’s largest power plant in Matanzas failed around 5am, but that workers had begun restoring power by midmorning.
“We already have a certain level of electricity in Havana and also in the province of Mayabeque,” Guerra said. “We will continue to move forward as we increase generation capacity.”
At least four western provinces, from Pinar del Rio to Mayabeque, lost power, officials said.
Havana’s oceanfront skyline was dark before sunrise, with only scattered hotels and hospitals lit with generators. Cell phone service was intermittent, and street and stop lights shut off.
