CUBA LEFT WITHOUT ELECTRICITY

Millions of people were left without electricity for two days when Cuba’s energy grid failed. Although blackouts have happened before, this was the worst one ever experienced by the country.

This blackout has a massive impact on the country’s economy and other government services as it’s not only lights that go out but also the water supply as the water pumps need electricity to run.

The cause of the blackout was the failure of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant in the province of Matanzas, east of Havana.

AP News reports that officials said 1.64 gigawatts went offline during peak hours, about half the total demand at the time.

Similar to South Africa’s loadshedding, this government implemented emergency measures were used to slash demand. Some state-owned workplaces were also shut down while several non-essential services were cancelled.

Although the blackout wasn’t caused by a hurricane, it’s currently that time of the year when Cuba is frequently hit by hurricanes. While authorities were still trying to get the grid up and running again, a hurricane warning was shared.

Image credit: Vox