In 2023, Cuba relied on fossil fuels for about 95% of its electricity consumption, with gas alone accounting for around 13% of the total. Low-carbon sources supplied only about 5%: biofuels contributed roughly 2%, solar just over 1%, and other clean sources the remainder. This overwhelmingly fossil-based electricity mix leaves considerable room for clean generation to reduce the climate impacts and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Cuba?

Cuba’s electricity consumption is well below its historical peak rather than setting new growth records. In 2023, consumption reached about 1,390 kWh per person, roughly 470 kWh—or a quarter—below the 2018 record of about 1,860 kWh. Low-carbon electricity generation was also far below its peak: about 65 kWh per person, compared with 145 kWh in 1990, a decline of roughly 55%. These shortfalls are concerning, although comparison with historical records alone does not establish the latest year-on-year trend. Restoring growth, particularly in clean electricity, would help meet future demand from electrification and expanding digital services.

Suggestions

Cuba should prioritize expanding solar electricity, develop suitable wind resources, and consider nuclear power as part of a long-term clean electricity strategy. Relevant solar examples include the island regions of Cyprus and the US state of Hawaii, where solar supplies about 23% of electricity generation, alongside El Salvador at 17% and Chile at 24%. Uruguay’s roughly one-third wind share offers a useful Latin American example, while Cape Verde’s 14% wind share illustrates wind’s contribution in an island setting. For nuclear, France generates about two-thirds of its electricity from this source, and the US state of South Carolina generates just over half. Cuba could learn from these regions’ experience with planning, grid development, workforce training, and sustained investment to build a substantially larger low-carbon electricity supply.

History

Cuba’s recorded low-carbon electricity changes have mainly involved biofuels. In the 1970s and 1980s, a 0.2 TWh decline in 1972 was followed by gains of 0.1 TWh in both 1978 and 1988. The 1990s were more volatile: a 0.2 TWh increase in 1990 preceded declines totaling 0.8 TWh in 1991, 1993, and 1995, followed by smaller mixed changes later in the decade. In the 2000s, declines of 0.2 TWh in 2003 and 0.4 TWh in 2005 outweighed a 0.1 TWh gain in 2008. The 2010s brought modest biofuel gains in 2012 and 2013, alongside declines in 2010 and 2018; solar added 0.1 TWh in 2018, a welcome step toward a more diversified clean electricity supply. Further biofuel decreases of 0.1 TWh occurred in both 2021 and 2022. Overall, this history underscores the need for sustained growth in solar and other low-carbon electricity sources.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade