Cuba Expands Solar Installations as Blackouts Persist

Cuba’s government stated that renewable sources now meet 10 percent of national electricity demand, compared with 3 percent in 2024. Officials project the share will reach 15 percent by December 2026, 40 percent by 2035, and 100 percent by 2050. The plan relies on continued Chinese financing for solar parks and equipment.

Frequent blackouts have forced many residents to use charcoal for cooking. A small bag of charcoal costs about $1, while the average state salary is $13 per month. Havana resident Lisbet Reyes told NBC News that cooking rice on charcoal takes roughly one hour instead of 15 minutes and fills her unventilated kitchen with smoke.

Reyes said she recently required antibiotics after smoke exposure affected her respiratory system. Similar conditions affect households outside the capital, where some outages last 20 hours or longer. The situation worsened after the United States restricted fuel shipments earlier in 2026.

A small number of households and businesses have installed solar panels. m. m. Massage business operator Rafael Huergo reported that six panels financed by relatives in Europe now supply all household electricity. Each panel costs about $100, and a complete residential system can reach nearly $5,000—well above average incomes.

Only business owners or families receiving remittances from abroad have been able to purchase the equipment.

Cuba currently operates 54 solar parks and plans to reach 92 parks by 2028 with additional Chinese support. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez wrote on X that the country is advancing its energy transition under party and government leadership. Energy specialist Jorge Piñon of the University of Texas at Austin said reaching 100 percent renewables by 2050 is highly unlikely given the island’s economic conditions and aging infrastructure.

Piñon noted that biomass from sugarcane could supplement solar generation if the collapsed sugar industry were revived. The Cuban Embassy in Washington did not respond to questions about the feasibility of the 2050 target or the specific mix of solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower sources.