Cuba struggles to revive obsolete power grid after nationwide blackout

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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Wall Street Journal or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Cuba is grappling with a nationwide blackout after its aging power grid collapsed, leaving millions without electricity and disrupting economic activity across the island

🔭 The context: The outage affected around 9 million residents, with authorities still unclear on the exact cause
• The crisis highlights long-standing issues including obsolete infrastructure, fuel shortages, and economic strain, worsened by external pressures such as restricted oil supplies

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Reliance on aging, fossil fuel–dependent power systems increases vulnerability to failures and delays the transition to cleaner, more resilient energy systems
• The crisis underscores the urgency of investing in modern, low-carbon and decentralized energy infrastructure

⏭️ What’s next: The government announced ongoing work to restore electricity gradually, but systemic grid weaknesses remain unresolved
• Continued instability could intensify public unrest and push authorities to seek energy sector reforms or external support

💬 One quote: “Residents endure long electricity outages as the island’s economy grinds to a halt.” — The Wall Street Journal

📈 One stat: The blackout impacted around 9 million people, effectively the entire population of Cuba

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