CASTRO
HAVANA (AP):
CUBA'S GOVERNMENT will close stores a bit earlier, send non-essential workers home, and use air conditioning sparingly through August in hopes of easing the blackouts that historically plague this Carib-bean island during the sweltering summer.
"The objective is to lessen state sector demand and lessen the effects on the population," said Victor Puentes, head of energy saving for the Government's Elecricity Union power company.
ESSENTIAL WORKERS
Puentes said in an interview late Thursday that stores that generally stay open until 8:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. will now close at 7:00 p.m. through the rest of the month. He said only essential government workers will be on the job for the rest of August, and air conditioning at government offices and factories will be turned off during peak hours.
ELECTRICITY DEMANDS
Blackouts are a common occurrence in Cuba during the sweltering summer, when residential electricity demands rise sharply with children home from school, adults on vacation, and fans and air conditioners running almost constantly.
While Cuba now produces all of the crude it needs to fill the nation's electrical needs, the island's overall electrical infrastructure remains limited.
