WSJ: Cuba bets big on solar power as energy crisis deepens

Cuba has sharply increased imports of solar panels from China amid fuel shortages as it seeks to transition to renewable energy, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports, citing data from renewable energy asset analytics platform RenewAtlas.

Over the past two years, at least 41 medium-sized and 18 small solar farms have been built on the island. By 2028, the authorities plan to increase the number of medium-sized solar farms to 92. The “solar push” accelerated after widespread power outages in 2024, when oil imports from Venezuela fell sharply.

According to the newspaper, the new facilities can generate around 1,000 MW at peak capacity — roughly one-third of the country’s typical demand of 3,200 MW. Solar power’s share of Cuba’s energy mix rose from 3% at the beginning of 2025 to 10% in 2026.

China has become the main supplier of equipment. Chinese exports of solar panels to Cuba increased from $3 million in 2023 to $117 million in 2025. Battery supplies also increased. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said some of the projects are being financed with revenue from nickel sales.

Despite the new capacity, millions of Cubans continue to suffer daily blackouts. The country’s power grid is aging: thermal power plants have not been modernized for decades, transmission lines lose around 16% of the electricity they carry, and the government lacks the funds needed to upgrade the network.

By Jeyhun Aghazada