People prepare to burn wood to produce charcoal at a traditional charcoal factory in San Nicolas de Bari, Cuba, February 18, 2025.

For Maria Elena Veiga, a 60-year-old Cuban housewife living on the outskirts of Havana, charcoal has become the go-to fuel for cooking due to frequent blackouts from the island's failing power grid.

"We have opted to cook with charcoal, which is what we can do, because otherwise we are going to go through a lot of work to be able to eat," said Veiga, who lives in San Nicolas de Bari, about 60 km (37 miles) northwest of the capital.

Power outages have become a daily reality for many Cubans, with some areas going without electricity for more than 20 hours a day, mainly in towns far from the capital.

"The day is lousy," Veiga said. "There's no power, and gas is scarce."

A shortage of fuel and the country's aging thermoelectric plants have left Cuba's power supply vulnerable. Most of the oil-fired plants are inactive, and fuel shortages make it difficult for diesel generators to support the national grid.

At the end of last year, several network collapses left the country of some 10 million inhabitants entirely in the dark.

"The electricity is very bad. Sometimes we spend the whole day sometimes without getting power," said Mirella Martinez, 72, as she cooked and lightly stirred a pot of beans on top of a small charcoal stove.

Many Cubans struggle with unreliable electricity and an inability to use household appliances. The crisis has prompted the government to implement drastic measures, including a two-day school closure and urging non-essential workers to stay home to reduce consumption.

Cuba blames the U.S. trade embargo for its power grid issues, citing difficulties in acquiring fuel and spare parts for outdated plants.