The Cuban government is pushing ahead with renewable energy plans as a de facto oil blockade by the United States strangles the economy, according to Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy. In an interview with Reuters, de la O Levy said the blockade has forced Cuba to explore domestic alternatives to imported fuel.
"We are seeking our own alternative solutions, using our own resources, our sun, wind, tides, fuel, Cuban crude oil and the gas produced in our wells," he said.
The minister said 144 solar farms totalling about 1,418 megawatts have been installed on the island in recent years. China has been the largest supplier of solar panels, with shipments increasing since the blockade began in early January 2026, when US President Donald Trump halted oil shipments from Venezuela, a close ally of Cuba. Trump later threatened heavy tariffs on any country exporting oil to Cuba, citing national security concerns.
Since the blockade began, only a single oil tanker from Russia has reached Havana. The US has increased oil shipments to Cuba's private sector but largely barred fuel exports to nationalised industries on the communist-led island.
Cuba's electrical grid, widely considered antiquated, relies heavily on fossil fuels. According to the International Energy Agency, only 40 percent of Cuba's electricity comes from domestic oil production. As of 2023, renewable sources covered only nine percent of the country's energy consumption.
De la O Levy acknowledged the difficulties the blockade has caused, including shortages of medicine, water and fuel, pushing Cuba to the brink of a humanitarian crisis. "We are surviving and moving forward, little by little, even if not at the pace we would like," he said. "We face long hours of blackouts and lack fuel for cooking and transportation. We lack fuel, but we are gradually making headway through our own solutions and our people."
Cuba's production of domestic crude oil remains stable, he added, but is almost entirely allocated to power plants.