(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. )Joseph J. Gonzalez, Appalachian State University(THE CONVERSATION) The lights went out in Cuba again.For the fifth time in a year, all of Cuba plunged into darkness on Sept. 10, 2025. Even critical emergency services like hospitals suffered during the nearly 24-hour power outage.That’s because Cuba’s power grid is old and hard to maintain, and the country cannot afford to import all the oil it needs to keep the lights on.As a scholar of Cuban society and politics, I believe that the ongoing blackouts point to larger economic problems facing the country.