Cuba forges ahead with renewable energy plans amid US oil blockade

What the report says

Cuba is pressing ahead with renewable energy plans as fuel shortages deepen under what its government describes as a US oil blockade. In remarks to Reuters, Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy said the island is turning to domestic resources such as solar, wind, tides, Cuban crude and gas from local wells to reduce dependence on foreign fuel.

The article says Cuba has installed 144 solar farms in recent years, with a combined capacity of about 1,418 megawatts. It also says China has been the main supplier of solar panels to the country. According to the report, Cuba’s electricity system still relies heavily on fossil fuels, while renewable sources covered only 9 percent of energy consumption in 2023, based on International Energy Agency figures cited by Al Jazeera.

The piece places the energy push in the context of tighter US measures under President Donald Trump, including an end to oil shipments from Venezuela and threats of tariffs on countries exporting oil to Cuba. It also notes that US authorities recently said they seized biodiesel shipments worth more than $2.8 million that were destined for Cuba. De la O Levy denied the government had any link to those shipments and said private-sector imports are far too small to meet national demand.

Al Jazeera reports that Cuba continues to face blackouts, shortages of fuel, medicine and water, and pressure on its broader economy. The government says domestic crude output is stable but mostly directed to power plants, underscoring why renewable projects are being treated as a strategic necessity.