Cuba renewable energy has become a vital lifeline as the island grapples with severe fuel shortages following US restrictions. Backed by Chinese solar technology and battery storage, renewable energy is helping households, businesses and communities adapt to one of the country's worst energy crises.
How Cuba renewable energy is helping the island withstand an unprecedented energy crisis
A cold beer while watching the FIFA World Cup might seem impossible in a country enduring its worst-ever energy crisis. Yet for Cubans with refrigerators and televisions powered by rooftop solar panels, it has remained a reality. Six months after President Donald Trump cut off Cuba’s oil imports, the island has not collapsed. Instead, through resilience, improvisation and, above all, Chinese-backed renewable energy, Cuba continues to endure despite prolonged power shortages.
Trump predicted Cuba’s collapse
“The Cuban regime is about to fall at any moment,” Trump told reporters on 4 January, one day after taking control of Venezuela’s oil production, the source on which Cuba had long depended.
The loss of Venezuelan fuel pushed the island into a deep energy crisis. Widespread blackouts have disrupted everyday life, transport and economic activity. Yet the hardship has not broken Cuban society. Instead, increasing numbers of households are turning to small-scale solar photovoltaic systems as a practical response to Washington’s pressure campaign.
Despite the restrictions, the Trump administration authorised limited fuel exports to private businesses operating in Cuba and approved an initial US$100 million aid package. The measures were also intended to demonstrate the extent of US influence over the island.
Chinese batteries and solar panels reshape daily life
A report by The New York Times found that Cubans are adapting in unexpected ways. The iconic, fuel-hungry American cars of the 1950s are gradually being replaced by electric motorcycles and Chinese-made three-wheel vehicles. Families are importing lithium batteries to keep televisions and fans running during blackouts, while rooftop solar panels are becoming increasingly common, even on vehicles.
According to the report, portable lithium batteries that can be recharged within a few hours have become one of the country’s most sought-after products. They provide enough electricity to power televisions, fans or refrigerators during outages. Many are sold through social media by Cubans importing them from China, while others are sent as gifts by relatives living abroad because their price remains out of reach for many local families.
Electric tricycles replace Cuba’s classic cars
As reported by Associated Press, Cuba’s iconic vintage American cars have largely disappeared from many streets, replaced by compact electric tricycles, most of them manufactured in China.
These vehicles have become essential for hundreds of thousands of Cubans facing persistent fuel shortages. Some owners have even installed rooftop solar panels on their tricycles, allowing the batteries to recharge while driving.
Cuba renewable energy expands with Chinese support
Cuba currently operates 54 government-owned solar parks, most of which have entered service since 2025 and have all been developed with Chinese assistance.
The country’s solar rollout has accelerated rapidly. According to government estimates, solar power now supplies around 10% of Cuba’s electricity demand, compared with only 3% at the beginning of 2025.
Data from Ember show that Chinese exports of solar panels to Cuba rose from approximately US$3 million in 2023 to US$117 million in 2025.
A key driver behind this expansion is an agreement between Havana and Beijing to build 92 solar parks by 2028. Once completed, the programme is expected to deliver 2 GW of solar capacity, enough to supply electricity to more than 1.5 million homes.
According to the Financial Times, Cuba also imported US$56 million worth of battery energy storage systems from China last year, while an additional US$15 million worth of batteries reportedly arrived in January alone.
However, these investments are still insufficient to overcome one of the country’s biggest obstacles: Cuba’s ageing electricity grid continues to limit the integration and efficient use of renewable electricity.
China’s wider strategy across the Caribbean
China’s support for Cuba’s clean energy transition is part of a broader regional strategy.
According to an analysis published by Eurasia Review, Chinese exports of green technologies to the Caribbean increased by more than 570% between 2020 and 2024. Beijing is financing and building solar parks, supplying photovoltaic modules and battery storage systems, while also training specialised technicians in Cuba, Jamaica, Guyana and Barbados.
The strategy is driven by multiple objectives. Expanding exports helps absorb China’s industrial overcapacity, promotes the adoption of Chinese technological standards and strengthens Beijing’s geopolitical influence in a region where several governments continue to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
At the same time, the growing reliance on Chinese components, particularly inverters, raises concerns over cybersecurity risks and the long-term resilience of critical energy infrastructure.
