Global Power Outages Intensify Focus on Digital Workflow Resilience

YEREVAN (Azat TV) – Recent widespread power outages, from Cuba’s severe fuel crisis to public safety shutoffs in Colorado, are starkly highlighting the inherent vulnerabilities of modern interconnected systems and intensifying focus on the critical need for resilient data management and automated workflow solutions across various industries. These disruptions underscore how essential uninterrupted power is for the digital operations that underpin global commerce and daily life, prompting a renewed push for more robust infrastructure and smarter continuity strategies.

Cuba is currently grappling with a deepening fuel crisis, leading to routine power outages and significant disruptions to transport and tourism. Air Canada announced on Monday, February 10, 2026, it would temporarily suspend passenger services to Cuba due to an ongoing shortage of aviation fuel, a direct consequence of the United States’ oil embargo against the island. The Canadian airline is operating empty aircraft solely to repatriate approximately 3,000 customers, affecting a major segment of Cuba’s tourism market, as Canadians make up the largest share of visitors.

Cuba’s Fuel Crisis and Systemic Impact

The Cuban government had previously informed international airlines that refueling on the island would no longer be possible from Tuesday, February 11, media reported, citing pilots and airline officials. While some airlines, like Spain’s Air Europa, have opted for precautionary refueling stopovers in the Dominican Republic, others such as Iberia have joined Air Canada in offering refunds or ticket changes. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also issued warnings regarding potential fuel shortages at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.

Beyond aviation, the crisis has far-reaching effects. Power and internet outages are now routine across the island, with the UK’s Foreign Office warning travelers to prepare for outages lasting over 24 hours. This necessitates precautions such as conserving fuel, water, food, and mobile phone charge. Germany’s Foreign Office has also advised visitors that accessing the internet or withdrawing money from banks during power outages is unlikely. The situation, exacerbated by the U.S. oil embargo and the cessation of oil shipments from Venezuela and Mexico, is drawing comparisons to the severe economic hardships Cuba faced in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, with experts noting the current starting point is even more dire due to years of systematic mismanagement and tightened U.S. policy, according to reports from Yahoo News.

Boulder Confronts Infrastructure Challenges and Innovative Solutions

Meanwhile, in Boulder, Colorado, residents experienced public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) in December 2025, caused by high winds. This event has reignited debates over the need for power line undergrounding, a complex and costly endeavor. Karey Christ-Janer, a seasoned renewable energy advocate, highlighted in an opinion piece for the Daily Camera that while undergrounding is essential, it is a long-term solution that can cost up to $3.9 million per mile, with Fort Collins taking nearly four decades to complete its project.

Christ-Janer advocates for additional, more immediate solutions, including the creation of microgrids with solar-plus-storage at critical infrastructure sites like water treatment plants and cellular towers. Another proposed solution is the aggregation of existing solar systems and storage on the grid, incentivizing customers to provide local backup power during outages. These systems, often referred to as Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), were slated for a pilot in Boulder, though federal funding was recently lost. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has expressed intentions to address PSPS issues, with advocates pushing for the revival of VPP pilots in Boulder and other wind-prone areas.

The Imperative for Resilient Digital Workflows

These disparate power outages, whether stemming from geopolitical fuel crises or localized weather events, collectively underscore a universal challenge: maintaining operational continuity in an increasingly digital and automated world. Modern industries rely heavily on sophisticated data management systems and automated workflows for everything from supply chain logistics and financial transactions to critical infrastructure monitoring and customer service. When the power grid falters, these digital lifelines are immediately compromised.

The disruptions in Cuba affect not just physical travel but also the digital infrastructure supporting tourism, banking, and communications. Similarly, PSPS events in Boulder, while aimed at public safety, inevitably halt businesses, disrupt home offices, and impact essential services that depend on continuous power and connectivity. These incidents serve as powerful reminders that the ‘power outage’ of today extends beyond mere darkness; it signifies a systemic breakdown in the flow of data and the execution of automated processes that drive our economies.

Driving Towards Future-Proof Solutions

The push for solutions like microgrids and Virtual Power Plants in places like Boulder is a direct response to the need for localized energy resilience, which in turn supports digital continuity. Beyond physical infrastructure, there’s a growing emphasis on developing software-based ‘workflow solutions’ that can adapt to intermittent power, leverage distributed data, and ensure business continuity even when primary systems are offline. This involves investing in cloud-based solutions, robust data backup and recovery protocols, and automation tools designed with resilience in mind. The goal is to minimize downtime, protect critical data, and ensure that essential workflows can either continue uninterrupted or recover rapidly, regardless of the cause of the power disruption.

The confluence of these events highlights a global shift in perspective, where physical power stability is increasingly viewed through the lens of digital operational resilience. Industries are now compelled to prioritize not only traditional energy infrastructure but also the advanced technological solutions that safeguard data integrity and workflow efficiency against the inevitable challenges of an unpredictable world.