This page covers the latest situation on the ground, then steps back to explain how Cuba's electricity system works, how it was built, and how it arrived at the breaking point — from early electrification in the 1880s through the Soviet era, the Special Period, and today's. This page covers the latest situation on the ground, then steps back to explain how Cuba's electricity system works, how it was built, and how it arrived at the breaking point — from early electrification in the 1880s through the Soviet era, the Special Period, and today's. Cuba is in the worst electricity crisis in its history. Since late 2024, the island has experienced repeated total grid collapses, rolling blackouts lasting 18 or more hours per day, and a fuel shortage that has left its aging power plants unable to meet even half of the country's electricity. , clean water, healthy food, and flourishing ecosystems. Guided by science, we work to create practical solutions that win lasting political, economic, and social suppor Jorge R. Piñon for their helpful comments and thoughts. After more than forty years of operation without capital maintenance, the basic thermoelectric generation infrastructure, as well as its distribution capacity, have. In the energy domain, there are many different units thrown around — joules, exajoules, million tonnes of oil equivalents, barrel equivalents, British thermal units, terawatt-hours, to name a few. Reuters reported this as the fourth such failure within a year, the product of sudden shutdowns at generating units and the collapse of transmission lines. Power was restored gradually. CasaCuba, the Cuban Research Institute (CRI), and the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center (LACC) at Florida International University (FIU) are proud to continue the publication of Briefings on Cuba.