Overview

• Nationwide power cuts extend for multiple days each month as fuel shortages and aging infrastructure hamper electricity generation.
• President Miguel Díaz-Canel said demand climbed from 2,580 to 3,050 megawatts between March and May while supply barely rose to about 1,900 megawatts.
• The government’s strategy includes installing Chinese- and Russian-supported solar parks and overhauling generators, but little progress has been reported.
• Households without reliable power are reverting to charcoal stoves for cooking and jury-rigged electronics for entertainment.
• Experts warn that soaring summer demand and potential hurricanes will worsen outages and estimate that restoring the grid will cost up to $8 billion and take up to five years.