What percentage of Cuba's electricity comes from renewable sources?

The share of Cuba’s electricity that comes from renewable sources like solar and burning sugar cane waste has increased only slightly, from 3.8% in 2012 to 5% as of 2022, according to research from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School and EDF.

What if Cuba had built out more solar power?

Cuba’s large-scale blackouts that left 10 million people without power this month wouldn’t have happened if the government had built out more solar power to boost its failing electric grid as promised, some experts say.

Can solar power solve Cuba's energy problems?

In a nation with plentiful sunshine, Cuban officials have long had the opportunity to encourage solar power as one solution to national energy problems. But October’s sweeping outages — the island’s worst power failure in years — show little progress has been made.

How can Cuba build a more resilient energy system?

Building a Cleaner, More Resilient Energy System in Cuba recommends numerous ways by which domestic policy in Cuba can prioritize working towards a more sustainable, resilient grid — especially by investing in the energy transition — and ways in which international cooperation can support these goals.

Is Cuba a good candidate for solar?

Besides the strong sunlight, there is another way that Cuba is a good candidate for solar. A significant share of its electricity comes from smaller power plants distributed around the country. Solar could be added or switched out in those locations. But it hasn’t happened yet.

Where does Cuba's energy come from?

Nearly all of the country’s power — 95% — comes from burning fossil fuels. Much of that is from burning crude oil, a particularly polluting form of generation. One of Cuba’s biggest trading partners, China, makes 80% of the world’s solar panels, according to the energy data and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, and they are inexpensive.