Tag: blackout

Cuba hit with nationwide blackout as US pressure continues

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Cuba suffered a nationwide blackout on Monday as it faces an ongoing energy crisis, worsened by an effective US blockade on fuel shipments. Cuba’s energy ministry said the national electrical grid had suffered a total collapse. The country’s grid operator said it is investigating the cause. Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said officials were working to restore energy and that they’ve already activated emergency “microsystems” that power vital services. Cuba has experienced several nationwide blackouts over the past few years, as the country’s aging electricity infrastructure struggles to meet demand. The country’s power crisis worsened this year after the US forced Cuba’s main suppliers to stop oil shipments. In March, it had at least two total blackouts within a week. On Monday, Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel criticized the US for blocking fuel imports on X, claiming Washington is trying to induce “a social explosion through asphyxiation.”

The island’s energy crunch has strained essential services, including education, transportation and medicine. Fresh sanctions by the US have also further deteriorated the Cuban economy and prevented many tourists from visiting the island. The US says the economic stranglehold is meant to force the Cuban government to pry open the island’s hermetic political system and allow direct foreign investment. Last month, Cuba’s National Assembly approved a broad set of reforms aimed at opening its economy. The foreign trade minister told CNN that the measures were not passed in response to external pressure. A spokesperson for the US State Department described the reforms as “modest, long overdue and ultimately superficial smoke signals” from the government. US and Cuban officials have held multiple talks over the past few weeks. In May, CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Cuba’s spy chiefs in Havana, and the commander of US Southern Command met with senior Cuban military officials on the perimeter of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

The US has accused Cuban officials of hosting Russian and Chinese listening posts on the island and thwarting US interests in the region. Cuba denies the claims and has pushed back against the US. When CNN asked Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga about the island’s humanitarian crisis, he accused the US of collective punishment, saying: “What is happening today against our people is a genocide.”

Source: Cuba hit with nationwide blackout as US pressure continues | CNN

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3

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Xcel Energy confirms public safety power shutoffs for parts of southern Colorado

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On Tuesday afternoon, Xcel Energy confirmed its plans to implement a public safety power shutoff in parts of southern Colorado on Wednesday. “Xcel Energy will implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff beginning around noon tomorrow, April 22, to lessen the risk of wildfire and protect public safety, impacting around 7,100 customers in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla and Rio Grande counties,” the energy company said in a press release.

Forecasted strong winds and low humidity, along with dry conditions and a historically low snowpack, will create high wildfire risk in the San Luis Valley. The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning with a Particularly Dangerous Situation in the area. On Monday, the company announced that public safety shutoffs were possible. They later confirmed their plans to implement them. Xcel said it will monitor weather conditions throughout the day on Wednesday and will only de-energize the lines if extreme weather conditions occur. Conditions are expected to begin improving by 7 p.m. The company said restoration work will begin once conditions are safe for the crews.

They expect the process to take several hours, but service in some areas may not be restored until Thursday. Xcel encouraged customers to prepare for shutoffs in advance, particularly those with medical equipment that relies on electricity. Enhanced powerline safety settings will also be implemented statewide to mitigate wildfire hazards. This makes the lines more sensitive and can stop the flow of electricity if anything touches them.

Source: Xcel Energy confirms public safety power shutoffs for parts of southern Colorado – CBS Colorado

Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.
Proverbs 11:4

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