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.

Why is the energy sector at a crossroads in Cuba?

Cuba’s energy sector is at a crossroads. The country’s mostly fossil fuel-fired energy system faces a number of longstanding and serious challenges, including breakdowns at aging power plants, decreasing fuel imports and fuel shortages, and the growing threat of climate change-related disruptions.

What types of energy systems are covered in Cuba?

Coverage includes generation and storage systems, renewable energy installations (hydropower, solar PV, wind, biomass, ocean, and solar thermal), electrical grid history and characteristics, and an analysis of Cuba’s electrical energy resiliency.

Is Cuba's energy infrastructure in a precarious state of aging and disrepair?

The report highlights the issue that not only is Cuba’s energy infrastructure in a precarious state of aging and disrepair, but also that its entire energy system relies heavily on external aid and imported fossil fuels.

Should Cuba update its energy grid?

While small-scale, such renewable energy initiatives can reduce pressure on the energy grid and provide relief in especially vulnerable places. Due to rising temperatures and increasingly unreliable energy infrastructure, action to update Cuba’s energy grid is urgently necessary.

How will Cuba's relationship with other countries impact the energy transition?

Cuba’s relationships with other countries will be key to realizing the energy transition. Since 2000, Venezuela has been Cuba’s primary source of imported oil. However, political and economic troubles in Venezuela caused oil exports to Cuba to fall by about half, resulting in Cuba increasingly seeking oil imports from Mexico and Russia.