All articles tagged with #blackouts
Cuba’s state electric grid collapsed late Sunday, plunging roughly 10 million people into a nationwide blackout amid fuel shortages and a U.S. oil blockade that has strained imports; the outage follows three blackouts in July, with officials offering few details as the aging system and tight fuel supply press on.
A series of drone strikes targeted Crimea’s military and power infrastructure overnight, hitting sites including a radar station in Feodosia and around the Tavriya Thermal Power Plant near Simferopol. The attacks caused fires and widespread outages across the peninsula, with Krymenergo citing external influence on power facilities and authorities reporting disrupted electricity in Simferopol, Sevastopol, Kerch, Feodosia, and Yalta as Crimea’s ongoing energy crisis deepens; Russia says its air defenses intercepted numerous Ukrainian UAVs, while local authorities distribute generators to affected communities.
Kremlin-backed Crimea authorities declared a regional state of emergency after Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure caused rolling blackouts, fuel shortages, and transport disruptions; the move is meant to speed damage claims and streamline restrictions while repair crews work to restore power, with water pressure affected and rail/sea services scaled back as the economy, heavily reliant on tourism, reels from the outages.
Exelon CEO Calvin Butler warned in the Financial Times that the U.S. could face blackouts as soon as 2027 due to a shortage of power plants in the Northeast and Midwest driven by AI data-center demand. PJM projects a 60 GW power shortfall over the next decade, while electricity prices have climbed nationwide; utilities argue higher bills are needed to fund grid upgrades. Exelon is upping capital expenditure and lobbying for regulatory changes to let utilities own more generation as regulators scrutinize rate increases amid inflation and growing demand.
MLB’s first labor proposal hints at ending local broadcast blackouts by centralizing media rights and sharing local TV revenues, but only if players accept a salary cap; the shift would be gradual beginning in 2027, with national games expanding by 2029 while local offerings shrink, meaning fans will likely still need multiple subscriptions to watch every game.
MLB owners push a salary-cap and a centralized national TV deal to end local game blackouts, arguing it would boost fans’ access and competitive balance; the players’ union disagrees on financial impact, and debates over revenue sharing and local rights signal a lengthy bargaining process ahead.
A northern Italy heatwave is driving up electricity demand and triggering blackouts in Turin, highlighting stress on the country’s power grid and prompting officials to monitor capacity and consider conservation or infrastructure measures as temperatures stay high.
Cuba’s energy minister said the island has run out of crude oil, fuel oil, and diesel due to the U.S. blockade, leaving only gas from wells and causing Havana to endure up to 22-hour blackouts amid street protests. With oil shipments halted since January and a weakened Venezuelan dependency, officials warn the grid is in a critical state and the country has no reserves. The U.S. has offered about $100 million in aid tied to reforms, and Havana must decide whether to accept the assistance and pursue talks.
Cuba says it has run out of diesel and fuel oil, pushing the national grid into a critical state and triggering severe blackouts in Havana as the US blockade hinders fuel imports. The energy minister says the country has no reserves and must rely on domestic crude, natural gas and renewables, with solar capacity limited by grid instability. Cuba is seeking fuel from abroad despite global price pressures; Mexico and Venezuela have not supplied fuel since early 2026, and only one large tanker, the Anatoly Kolodkin, has delivered crude since December. The UN has condemned the blockade as unlawful, citing harm to Cubans’ access to development, health, and basic services.
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the $6.2 billion Nexstar-Tegna merger, ordering the two companies to operate separately as litigation proceeds, citing reduced competition and the risk of higher retransmission fees and more broadcast blackouts for viewers, including live sports on over-the-air networks.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin plans to introduce the For the Fans Act to lower sports TV costs, end local blackouts for fans with out-of-market subscriptions, and guarantee statewide access to nationally televised games via local broadcasts or free streaming. The bill would cover major leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, WNBA, MLS, NWSL) and would align with the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 while asking the FCC to define local markets that cross state lines. If enacted, fans could watch all team games without blackout restrictions, with streams and ads supporting rights holders, and Wisconsin’s Packers example cited to illustrate the current confusion and expense.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin plans to introduce the For The Fans Act to require free, state-wide access to nationally televised NFL games via broadcasting or streaming on a consistent channel, and to remove local blackouts when the game is available on another service, aiming to lower costs for fans while preserving media-rights revenues.
Cuba says it is ready for any potential U.S. military action as it recovers from a nationwide blackout blamed on Washington’s oil blockade, while Havana maintains that political change is off the negotiating table even as Trump threatens to seize the island; outages have pressed the grid through March with only partial power restoration in Havana, and U.S. officials say they are not planning an invasion but will defend interests and respond to threats.
The U.S.-led oil embargo has left Cuba facing its worst energy crisis in modern history, triggering rolling and islandwide blackouts, water and medicine shortages, hospital disruptions, and widespread hardship as ordinary Cubans adapt with bicycles and improvised fuel sources while debates over responsibility and potential policy changes intensify.
Nighttime protests across Cuba are intensifying as residents in Morón and other cities bang pots to express anger over worsening living conditions and chronic power outages; in one town they even attacked the Communist Party office, highlighting broad civil unrest under a strained economy.