Havana/State authorities continue to demand cuts and savings from the population to make the most of the scarce energy available. In Sancti Spíritus, the provincial Electric Company, together with the Office for the Control of Rational Use of Energy (Onure), announced a “rigorous” reinforcement of control, both in the state and private sectors, with special attention to the so-called “non-switchable circuits,” according to the official newspaper. Escambray.
“The nearly 28,000 services that belong to these circuits are going to have an energy plan. Starting this Friday, the weekly reading to these customers begins and what is asked of the population is to reduce consumption by 20% compared to what they consumed in February 2025,” the Electric Company stated to the official media, as in the worst period of the Special Period: “It is a measure analogous to the one carried out in 1993.”
The disconnection of the service of the entities “that is decided” has already been launched, from this Friday at twelve at night until Monday at five in the morning, as well as the disconnection of all non-vital services of the population. According to Onure, he told the newspaper, “the premise is to disconnect 90% on weekends.”
The “non-switchable” circuits that are rotated to protect the provincial hospital will be affected by these measures
The “non-switchable” circuits that are rotated to protect the provincial hospital will be affected by these measures, according to Darío Peña, director of the provincial Electric Company: “with adjustments, since we know that part of the time, two weeks, they do not have full-time electricity, the control would be for when they have it.”
This rigorous control is required in a province where energy precariousness has led for months the population to resort to the alternative of using coal, as in so many other regions of the country. However, this resource is also scarce and is negotiated at very high prices in relation to the average salary in Cuba. In Havana, a bag of charcoal is offered for 8,000 pesos, and in MSMEs in some neighborhoods, small packages of imported charcoal for 3,000. “That’s luck,” says a resident of Sancti Spíritus. “It’s lost here, we’ve had it in charge for weeks and it hasn’t turned up.”
In Guantánamo, the authorities dare to praise the use of coal as an “ecological alternative”, announcing that it will begin to be sold through the supply book. The news, published by Radio Guantánamo on its social networks, has unleashed indignant reactions from users due to the triumphalist tone used by the official media.
The International Book Fair, the most anticipated cultural event on the Island, has been officially postponed
Other institutions in Cuba are joining the energy saving scenario. The International Book Fair, the most anticipated cultural event on the Island, has been officially postponed ”as a consequence of the extraordinary situation that the country is experiencing,” according to a statement from the Cuban Book Institute. This same Friday, the Palco business group announced the temporary closure of the Karl Marx Theater, which affects all the shows planned for the coming months. “Due to the energy situation that the country is going through, it has been decided to temporarily suspend all scheduled shows,” published the state company, dedicated to the organization of fairs and events, on its social networks. The French Alliance of Cuba has also reported on its social media profile that its courses will begin to be taught semi-in-person or remotely.
At the same time as these institutional measures and demands on the population, the most recent part of the Electrical Union, this Friday, announces a deficit of 57% of demand.
Added to the lack of fuel are breakdowns in units at the Mariel, Santa Cruz, Felton and Antonio Maceo thermoelectric plants; as well as the maintenance of the Nuevitas thermoelectric plant and the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes plant in Cienfuegos. Yesterday, Thursday, during peak hours, a maximum impact of 1,738 megawatts (MW) was recorded, compared to a demand of 3,100 MW. For this Friday, at the same time, a deficit of 1,769 MW is expected.
Meanwhile, the government continues to boast about its efforts to diversify the country’s energy matrix, announcing that in a midday segment today, more than 900 MW of photovoltaic energy was generated.
