Cuba's National Grid Collapses, Cutting Power to 10 Million

Cuba's Electric Union announced a "total disconnection of the national electric power system" shortly after noon, plunging all 10 million residents into darkness. It was the seventh full grid collapse since January 2025, coming as a projected 2,200–2,230 MW deficit outstripped available generation of roughly 1,000 MW. State media said restoration protocols were activated, prioritizing hospitals and food production, but by late afternoon Havana was receiving only about 1% of normal demand. Officials said the cause was under investigation, though the collapse follows months of fuel starvation from the US oil blockade layered onto Cold War-era infrastructure.