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CNN published an article this Wednesday describing Cuba as one of the countries with the "fastest solar revolution on the planet," driven by massive support from China amid an unprecedented energy crisis exacerbated by measures from the Trump administration.
The text is signed by Laura Paddison, a British journalist specializing in climate change, the environment, and social inequality. The report on Cuba's solar expansion states that the island has tripled its photovoltaic capacity in just one year. The country went from generating 5.8% of its electricity from solar energy in early 2025 to more than 20% in February 2026.
The numbers supporting this acceleration are compelling. By March 2026, Cuba had 49 solar parks connected to the grid with an installed capacity of between 900 and 1,000 MW, compared to the 34 parks that were operational at the end of 2025, representing a 350% increase from 2024.
The financial engine behind this expansion is Beijing. Cuba's imports of solar panels from China skyrocketed to 117 million dollars in 2025, compared to 48 million in 2024 and just five million in 2023, according to data from the energy analysis firm Ember cited by the Financial Times.
Imports of batteries from China also soared: from $7.3 million in 2024 to $56 million in 2025, with $15 million just in January 2026.
Chinese Ambassador Hua Xin also committed to the construction of 92 solar parks in Cuba by 2028, with a total capacity of 2,000 MW, equivalent to the entire current fossil capacity of the island, and estimated a savings of "18,000 tons of fuel per year" thanks to the parks already donated.
On February 10 and 11, 2026, Cuba set photovoltaic generation records by exceeding 900 MW, and that month solar energy accounted for 38% of daytime electricity generation.
However, the narrative of the "solar revolution" clashes with the reality that Cubans live.
The energy crisis worsened this week with projected deficits of up to 1,985 MW and blackouts lasting between 12 and 20 hours daily in much of the country.
The expert Jorge Piñón from the University of Texas is unequivocal about the causes. "The poor design of interconnectivity among thermal power plants is the sole cause of these collapses; there is no viable solution for 2026," he said.
The national electric system has experienced at least seven total collapses in the last 18 months, including a nationwide blackout on March 16, 2026. Solar energy, although growing rapidly, only meets daytime demand and does not address nighttime peak.
The human impact is devastating. 80% of Cubans reported food spoilage due to power outages. People cannot rest at night because when the electricity comes back, they must attend to household chores. Additionally, the outages lead to a prolonged interruption of drinking water service.
The CNN article frames solar expansion as a response to Trump's "oil blockade," partially reproducing the official Cuban narrative that attributes the crisis to the embargo rather than to decades of underinvestment and poor management of the energy infrastructure.
Cuba plans to add approximately 1,200 MW of solar power by 2026, aiming to achieve between 30% and 35% of renewable energy by the end of the year. However, experts warn that this goal will not solve blackouts as long as the thermal power grid remains unreformed.
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