https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/cubas-national-electric-grid-collapses-says-grid-operator-2026-03-16/ Skip to main content Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals Learn more aboutRefinitiv * World Browse World + Africa + Americas + Asia Pacific + China + Europe + India + Iran War + Israel and Hamas at War + Japan + Middle East + Ukraine and Russia at War + United Kingdom + United States + Reuters NEXT New York * Business Browse Business + Aerospace & Defense + Autos & Transportation + Davos + Energy + Environment + Finance + Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals + Media & Telecom + Retail & Consumer + Future of Health + Future of Money + Take Five + World at Work * Markets Browse Markets + On the Money + Watchlist + Asian Markets + Carbon Markets + Commodities + Currencies + Deals + Emerging Markets + ETFs + European Markets + Funds + Econ World + Global Market Data + Rates & Bonds + Stocks + U.S. Markets + Wealth * Sustainability Browse Sustainability + Boards, Policy & Regulation + Climate & Energy + Land Use & Biodiversity + Society & Equity + Sustainable Finance & Reporting + The Switch + Reuters Impact + COP30 * More Legal + Government + Legal Industry + Litigation + Transactional + US Supreme Court Commentary + Breakingviews + ROI: Reuters Open Interest Technology + Artificial Intelligence + Cybersecurity + Space + Disrupted Investigations Sports + Winter Olympics + Athletics + Baseball + Basketball + Cricket + Cycling + Formula 1 + Golf + NFL + NHL + Soccer + Tennis Science Lifestyle + Culture Current City Memo Graphics + Chart of the Week Pictures Wider Image Podcasts + Reuters World News + Reuters Econ World + On Assignment + Viewsroom + The Big View Live Fact Check Video Media Center + Announcements + Awards + Inside the Newsroom + People News Sponsored Content + Reuters Plus + Press Releases Subscribe Cuba's national electric grid collapses, leaving millions without power By Dave Sherwood March 16, 20266:26 PM UTCUpdated ago * * * * * * * * Cubans fearing crackdown are reluctant to take to the streets People bang pots and pans during a protest against electricity power cuts, amid U.S. sanctions and an oil blockade that have deepened the country's crisis, in Havana, Cuba, March 7, 2026.... Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Read more * Summary * US oil blockade worsens Cuba's power crisis * Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba * Around 10 million people left without power HAVANA, March 16 (Reuters) - Cuba's national electric grid collapsed on Monday, the country's grid operator said, leaving around 10 million people without power amid a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the island's already obsolete generation system. Grid operator UNE said on social media it is investigating the causes of the blackout, the latest in a series of widespread outages that last for hours or days and that this weekend sparked a rare violent protest in the communist-run country. Sign up here. Officials ruled out a major power plant failure, but had still not pinpointed the root cause of the grid collapse, suggesting a problem with transmission. Officials said they had begun restoring power to small clusters of circuits, or microsystems, across the country, an early but necessary first step in bringing the full grid back online. The United States has ratcheted up pressure this year on long-time foe Cuba since capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro - Cuba's most important foreign benefactor - in January. U.S. President Donald Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and threatened to slap tariffs on any country that sells oil to Cuba, strangling the Caribbean island's already antiquated grid. Cuba said on Friday that it has entered into talks with the United States with the hope of defusing the crisis. Trump has said in recent weeks that Cuba is on the verge of collapse and is eager to make a deal with the United States. Cubans have grown accustomed to power outages, whether tied to the oil supply shortfalls or systemic failures in the grid, which can also be the result of depressed power generation. "No, the news didn't surprise me," said Havana resident Dayana Machin, 26, adding that all Cubans were scrambling now to find alternatives to grid-provided electricity. "We're getting used to living like this." RUNNING ON FUMES Cuba has received only two small vessels carrying oil imports this year, according to LSEG ship tracking data seen by Reuters on Monday. The first tanker discharged fuel in January at the Havana port coming from Mexico, which was a regular supplier to the island until then. The second vessel, from Jamaica, discharged liquefied petroleum gas - known as cooking gas - in February. Venezuela, once Cuba's main oil supplier, has sent no fuel to the island this year. Venezuela's state company PDVSA last month loaded gasoline in a tanker that it had previously used to transport fuel to Cuba, but the vessel has not left Venezuelan waters, PDVSA documents and tanker monitoring data showed. No large imports have entered this year through Cuba's main hubs of Matanzas or Moa, which typically handle crude for refining and fuel oil for power generation, according to satellite images analyzed by TankerTrackers.com. The ports of Havana and Cienfuegos also have not had import activity in more than a month, it added. Reporting by Dave Sherwood, additional reporting by Anett Rios and Alien Fernandez in Havana and Marianna Parraga in Houston; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle, Will Dunham and Nia Williams Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Energy * Sustainable & EV Supply Chain * Grid & Infrastructure * * * * * Purchase Licensing Rights Dave Sherwood Dave Sherwood Thomson Reuters Dave Sherwood is the bureau chief in Havana for Reuters. He covers politics, economics, and the environment in communist-run Cuba, and often contributes to coverage elsewhere in the Caribbean. He was previously based in Santiago, Chile, covering mining, the salmon industry and general news across South America. He first reported for Reuters from New England and Atlantic Canada and has also worked extensively throughout Central America. * Read Next * agoEnergycategory Trump upset as US partners reject call for Hormuz warship escorts Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz * agoEnergycategory Oil prices slide 3% as some ships transit Strait of Hormuz Oil-rich shale region of the Permian Basin in Texas * agoEnergycategory IEA could release more oil stocks if needed, agency chief says IEA Executive Director Birol speaks during a press conference in Istanbul * agoEnergycategory EU's Kallas floats Black Sea model to unblock Strait of Hormuz European Union Energy and Foreign Affairs ministers meeting in Brussels * agoSustainabilitycategory Sweden threatens to restrict power exports over EU funding plan European Union Energy and Foreign Affairs ministers meeting in Brussels LSEG Workspace Business * Cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London UK's Reeves to pledge 1 billion pounds for quantum procurement Worldcategory * March 16, 2026 * 10:32 PM UTC * ago British finance minister Rachel Reeves said on Monday the government would spend up to 1 billion pounds ($1.33 billion) on powerful quantum computers to help develop the quantum sector and boost the wider economy. * Samsung Electronics Union workers begin a three-day strike, in Hwaseong World at WorkcategorySamsung Elec workers' strike plan would disrupt chip supply, union chief says 10:03 PM UTC * O'Hare International Airport amid U.S. government shutdown, in Chicago BusinesscategoryFAA to resume hearing Thursday on plan to reduce flights at Chicago O'Hare 9:16 PM UTC * JBS meatpacking workers strike in Greeley World at WorkcategoryJBS workers launch first US meatpacking strike in 40 years, union says 9:11 PM UTC * A oil pump is seen at sunset outside Scheibenhard BusinesscategoryTrading Day: Banking on oil relief 9:03 PM UTC Site Index Latest * Home * Authors * Topic Sitemap * Archive * Article Sitemap Media * Videos * Pictures * Graphics * Podcasts Latest * Home * Authors * Topic Sitemap * Archive * Article Sitemap Browse * World * Business * Markets * Sustainability * Legal * Breakingviews * Technology * Investigations * Sports * Science * Lifestyle Media * Videos * Pictures * Graphics * Podcasts About Reuters * About Reuters, opens new tab * Media Center, opens new tab * Advertise with Us, opens new tab * Careers, opens new tab * Reuters News Agency, opens new tab * Brand Attribution Guidelines, opens new tab * Reuters and AI, opens new tab * Reuters Leadership, opens new tab * Reuters Fact Check * Reuters Diversity Report, opens new tab * Commercial Disclosure (Japan), opens new tab Stay Informed * Download the App (iOS), opens new tab * Download the App (Android), opens new tab * Newsletters * Subscribe Information you can trust Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world's largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Follow Us * * * * * * LSEG Products * Workspace, opens new tab Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. * Data Catalogue, opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. * World-Check, opens new tab Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. * Advertise With Us, opens new tab * Advertising Guidelines * Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab * Cookies, opens new tab * Terms & Conditions * Privacy, opens new tab * Copyright, opens new tab * Digital Accessibility, opens new tab * Corrections * Data Disclosure and Sources, opens new tab * Site Feedback, opens new tab All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a list of exchanges and delays. * Cookies, opens new tab * Terms & Conditions * Privacy, opens new tab * Copyright, opens new tab * Digital Accessibility, opens new tab * Corrections * Data Disclosure and Sources, opens new tab * Site Feedback, opens new tab (c) 2026 Reuters. All rights reserved