Cuba's national electricity grid collapsed, plunging the island into darkness. Cuba's energy ministry said on social media: 'There has been a total disconnection of the electrical system.' The utility did not provide further details in its posts on X and Facebook.
The collapse occurred late on Sunday and affects the island's roughly 10 million people. It follows three nationwide blackouts in July; the last grid failure was on 14 July, the third major blackout in nine days.
10 million people
Approximate population of Cuba affected by the grid collapse.
Fuel Shortages and the US Oil Blockade
Cuba's already aging energy infrastructure has been crippled by an oil blockade imposed by US President Donald Trump. Venezuela was Cuba's primary fuel supplier, but Washington deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on 3 January, and subsequent US pressure led Mexico to halt oil shipments to Cuba.
Blackouts are becoming ever more frequent in Cuba, with the latest collapse marking another chapter in the island's energy issues.
Updates
The grid collapse on 2 August was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, which initially caused parts of western Cuba to disconnect from the grid. This failure marks the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks, occurring alongside a massive supply gap where the expected 3,200 megawatts of demand far exceeded the forecasted 1,035 megawatts of generation capacity. Additionally, 106 distributed generation plants have gone offline due to fuel shortages, while five thermal units remain out of service because of breakdowns and four others due to maintenance.
The grid collapse on 2 August was the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks, triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos. On the evening of the outage, Cuba faced a 2,195-megawatt gap between a forecasted capacity of 1,035 megawatts and an expected demand of 3,200 megawatts. This deficit left approximately two-thirds of the country's electricity demand unmet, as five thermal units were offline due to breakdowns and 106 distributed generation plants shut down because of fuel shortages.
The 2 August grid failure represents the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks, following specific outages on 6, 10, and 14 July. Detailed causes for the latest collapse remain unconfirmed, though faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos were identified. On the evening of the collapse, a significant deficit emerged as the 1,035 megawatts of forecasted generation capacity failed to meet an expected demand of 3,200 megawatts.
The grid collapse on 2 August was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, initially causing western Cuba to disconnect from the grid. On the evening of the outage, a massive 2,195-megawatt gap emerged between the 1,035 megawatts of available generation capacity and the expected 3,200 megawatts of demand, meaning roughly two-thirds of the country's electricity needs could not be met. The crisis is further compounded by the fact that 106 distributed generation plants went offline due to fuel shortages, while five thermal units are out of service due to breakdowns and four others are undergoing maintenance.
The August 2 blackout marks the fourth major nationwide failure in less than four weeks, triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos. On the evening of the collapse, a massive gap of 2,195 megawatts existed between the forecasted generation capacity of 1,035 megawatts and an expected demand of 3,200 megawatts, leaving approximately two-thirds of the country's electricity needs unmet. The crisis is exacerbated by five offline thermal units due to breakdowns, four undergoing maintenance, and 106 distributed generation plants disabled by fuel shortages.
The August 2 collapse was driven by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, which initially caused western Cuba to detach from the grid. On the night of the outage, a massive 2,195-megawatt gap emerged as available generation was forecast at only 1,035 megawatts against an expected demand of 3,200 megawatts. This deficit was exacerbated by nine thermal units being offline due to breakdowns or maintenance and 106 distributed generation plants failing due to fuel shortages.
The August 2 collapse was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, causing portions of western Cuba to disconnect from the grid. On the evening of the outage, a massive deficit emerged as the expected 3,200 megawatts of demand far exceeded the 1,035 megawatts of available generation capacity. The crisis is compounded by the fact that five thermal units are offline due to breakdowns, four are under maintenance, and 106 distributed generation plants have shut down because of fuel shortages.
The August 2nd collapse was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, which caused parts of western Cuba to detach from the grid. On the night of the outage, Cuba faced a massive 2,195-megawatt gap between its 1,035-megawatt generation capacity and the expected 3,200-megawatt demand, leaving approximately two-thirds of the country's electricity needs unmet. This failure marks the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks, following specific outages on July 6, 10, and 14.
The August 2 grid collapse was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, marking the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks. On the evening of the outage, a massive gap of 2,195 megawatts existed between the forecasted 1,035 megawatts of generation capacity and the expected 3,200 megawatts of electricity demand. The crisis is further exacerbated by the fact that five thermal units are offline due to breakdowns, four are under maintenance, and 106 distributed generation plants have gone offline due to fuel shortages.
The August 2 grid collapse was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, which initially caused parts of western Cuba to separate from the grid. On the evening of the outage, a significant deficit emerged as the expected electricity demand of 3,200 megawatts far exceeded the available generation capacity of 1,035 megawatts. This gap meant approximately two-thirds of the country's demand could not be met, exacerbated by 106 distributed generation plants going offline due to fuel shortages and several thermal units being out of service for breakdowns or maintenance.
The August 2 grid failure was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, marking the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks. On the night of the collapse, Cuba's electricity demand was expected to reach 3,200 megawatts against a generation capacity of only 1,035 megawatts, leaving a deficit of 2,195 megawatts that could not be met. The Cuban government acknowledged that the National Electrical System is in a 'critical' and 'extremely tense' state due to aging infrastructure and US energy sanctions.
The August 2 grid collapse was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, marking the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks. On the evening of the outage, Cuba faced a massive 2,195-megawatt gap between its 1,035-megawatt generation capacity and the expected 3,200-megawatt demand. The crisis was exacerbated by five offline thermal units, four units undergoing maintenance, and 106 distributed generation plants halted by fuel shortages.
The grid collapse on 2 August was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, which initially caused parts of western Cuba to detach from the grid. This incident marks the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks, occurring against a backdrop where the Cuban government has admitted its National Electrical System is in a 'critical' and 'extremely tense' state due to aging infrastructure and energy sanctions. Current data shows a massive deficit for the evening of 2 August, with a projected demand of 3,200 megawatts against a generation capacity of only 1,035 megawatts.
The grid collapse on 2 August was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, marking the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks. While the Cuban government admitted the National Electrical System is in a 'critical' and 'extremely tense' state, the outage left a massive 2,195-megawatt gap between the forecasted 1,035 MW generation capacity and the expected 3,200 MW electricity demand. To address the crisis, authorities are prioritizing the creation of small independent electrical systems to gradually restart thermal plants, which include five units currently offline due to breakdowns and 106 distributed
The grid collapse on August 2 was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos. This incident follows a weekend of outages and marks the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks. The Cuban government has characterized the National Electrical System as being in a 'critical' and 'extremely tense' state due to aging infrastructure and energy sanctions.
The August 2 grid collapse was triggered by faults in two 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, marking Cuba's fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks. The outage occurred amid a severe energy deficit where an expected demand of 3,200 megawatts far exceeded the available 1,035 megawatts of generation capacity. To combat the crisis, the Cuban government has admitted the National Electrical System is in a 'critical' and 'extremely tense' state, while simultaneously implementing market reforms such as allowing private fuel imports and wholesale distribution by local businesses.
The collapse on 2 August was triggered by faults in two separate 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, marking the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks. This outage occurred amid a massive energy deficit, where the expected 3,200 megawatts of demand could not be met by the forecast 1,035 megawatts of generation capacity. The Cuban government has acknowledged that the National Electrical System is in a 'critical' and 'extremely tense' state due to aging infrastructure and energy sanctions.
The August 2 blackout, which occurred at 22:43 EST, marks the sixth total grid failure of 2026 and follows faults in two 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos. Cuba's electrical system is currently in a 'critical' and 'extremely tense' state, with an expected electricity demand of 3,200 megawatts facing a mere 1,035 megawatts of available generation capacity. Following the collapse, the US Embassy in Havana issued a security alert noting cellphone and internet outages and advising citizens to prepare for major disruptions.
The August 2 blackout-which occurred at 22:43 EST-marks the sixth total grid failure of 2026 and follows faults in two 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos. The Cuban government has acknowledged that the National Electrical System is in a 'critical' and 'extremely tense' state, while the US Embassy in Havana reported observed cellphone and internet outages following the collapse.
The August 2 collapse marks the sixth total grid failure of 2026, occurring at 22:43 EST following faults in two 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos. While the Cuban government acknowledged the National Electrical System is in a 'critical' and 'extremely tense' state, the exact cause and restoration timeline remain unknown. Additionally, the US Embassy in Havana has issued a security alert, reporting instances of cellphone and internet outages following the blackout.
The grid collapse occurred at 22:43 EST on August 2 due to faults in two 220 kV transmission lines, marking the sixth total grid failure of 2026. While the Cuban government described the National Electrical System as being in a 'critical' and 'extremely tense' state, the US Embassy in Havana reported that cellphone and internet outages have followed the blackout. By midday on Monday, authorities confirmed that approximately half of Havana had electricity restored.
The grid collapse occurred at 22:43 EST on August 2, marking the sixth total grid failure of 2026. While the exact cause was initially unconfirmed, a state television official attributed the collapse to an oscillation, and the state electricity provider noted that weather events directly affected online generator units. By midday on Monday, authorities reported that approximately half of Havana had regained electricity.
The grid collapse occurred at 22:43 EST on August 2, marking the sixth total grid failure of 2026 and the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks. While the exact cause remained initially undisclosed, state television reported that an oscillation triggered the collapse, while the state electricity provider attributed the disruption to weather events affecting online generator units. By midday on Monday, approximately half of Havana had electricity restored, with several transmission substations around the capital also being re-energized.
The National Electrical System (SEN) has been described by the Cuban government as being in a 'critical' and 'extremely tense' state, with the US Embassy in Havana noting that this collapse marks the sixth total grid failure of 2026. While exact causes were initially unknown, reports indicate that faults in two 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos triggered the outage on August 2. Additionally, officials reported that by midday on Monday, electricity had been restored to approximately half of Havana.
The collapse is the sixth total grid failure of 2026, occurring at 22:43 EST on August 2 following faults in two 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos. While initial reports left the cause unknown, Cuban state television later attributed the collapse to an oscillation, while the state electricity provider cited disruptions caused by weather events. By midday on Monday, authorities reported that approximately half of Havana had regained electricity.
The grid collapse occurred at 22:43 EST on August 2, marking the sixth total grid failure of 2026. While the cause was initially undisclosed, Cuban state television reported that an oscillation caused the collapse, though the state electricity provider also cited disruptions from existing weather events. By midday on Monday, authorities reported that approximately half of Havana had electricity restored.
The collapse of the electrical grid on August 2 at 22:43 EST marks the sixth total grid failure of 2026. While the exact cause remains unconfirmed by the national utility, reports indicate the failure followed faults in two 220 kV transmission lines between Matanzas-Santa Clara and Matanzas-Cienfuegos, alongside state television suggesting an oscillation caused the collapse. By midday on Monday, authorities reported that approximately half of Havana had regained electricity.
The collapse occurred at 22:43 EST on August 2, marking the sixth total grid failure of 2026 and the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks. While exact causes were initially unknown, state television reported that an oscillation caused the collapse, while the state electricity provider attributed the disruption to existing weather events affecting online generator units. By midday on Monday, authorities reported that approximately half of Havana had regained electricity.
The collapse on August 2 occurred at 22:43 EST and marks the sixth total grid failure of 2026. While the exact cause remained unconfirmed in initial reports, a state television official attributed the failure to an oscillation, and the state electricity provider noted that existing weather events disrupted the grid by affecting online generator units. By midday on Monday, authorities reported that approximately half of Havana had electricity restored.
The collapse occurred at 22:43 EST on August 2, with the US Embassy in Havana noting that this marks the sixth total grid failure of 2026. While the exact cause was initially unknown, state television reported that an oscillation triggered the collapse despite recent progress. By midday on Monday, authorities confirmed that approximately half of Havana had electricity restored.
The US Embassy in Havana reported that the grid failure on August 2 marks the sixth total grid failure of 2026. While the initial cause was unknown, Cuban state television later stated that an oscillation caused the collapse despite recent progress. Additionally, the US Embassy noted that cellphone and internet outages have been observed following the blackout.
The collapse on August 2 marks Cuba's sixth total grid failure of 2026 and the fourth major nationwide blackout in less than four weeks. While initial reports provided no cause, Cuban state television later suggested an oscillation triggered the collapse, while the state electricity provider attributed disruptions to existing weather events affecting online generator units. By midday on Monday, authorities reported that approximately half of Havana had regained electricity.
The national grid collapsed for a second time on Monday, August 3, marking the sixth total failure of 2026. Cuban authorities attributed this second blackout to adverse weather conditions and oscillations, while also reporting that approximately half of Havana had regained electricity by midday Monday.
The national electricity grid collapsed for a second time on Monday, August 3, marking the sixth total grid failure of 2026. Cuban authorities attributed this second blackout to adverse weather conditions that disrupted the restoration process, while state television reported that an oscillation also caused the collapse. By midday Monday, approximately half of Havana had regained electricity, and several transmission substations around the city had been re-energized.
The national grid collapsed for a second time within 24 hours on Monday, marking the sixth total failure of the year. While initial reports lacked a cause, Cuban authorities attributed this second blackout to adverse weather conditions and oscillations, noting that the outages occurred while attempts to restore power were underway. Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Havana has issued a security alert advising Americans to prepare for major disruptions, including potential cellphone and internet outages.
