By the end of 2025, Cuba had made significant progress in the recovery of the National Electric System, despite the intensification of the US blockade, which included the seizure of a ship carrying one million barrels of fuel in December.
As Minister of Energy and Mines Vicente de la O Levy explained on the Round Table program, the country implemented a comprehensive strategy: more than 1,000 megawatts (MW) of distributed generation capacity were recovered, domestic gas production increased, key thermoelectric units were repaired, and the penetration of renewable energy jumped from 3% to 10% in one year.
He said the impacts persist and that 2026 will be focused on consolidating the progress made and introducing energy storage systems, as well as expanding the manufactured gas service.
—What was the starting point of the energy recovery program and what concrete results were obtained in 2025?
—We started from a very complex situation. At the end of 2024, distributed generation had only about 350 MW available out of the nearly 3,000 MW installed, due to a lack of parts and financing. In 2025, we managed to recover it to over 1,000 MW, which proved vital during the hurricane that affected Granma, Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas, provinces that were disconnected from the national grid and survived thanks to that generation.
"We also recovered thermal units such as units 3 and 4 in Céspedes and unit 5 in Renté, Santiago de Cuba.” Unit 4 at Céspedes was delayed due to planning errors and quality issues with maintenance, but it is now online."
–What role did domestic gas and renewable energy play?
–It was one of the most significant leaps forward. We drilled new wells and increased associated gas production. We reached 370 MW of installed capacity, with a stable average of 340 MW, operating on our own fuel. Regarding renewables, we started 2025 with 3% penetration and finished with 10%, an increase of seven percentage points in just one year.
–How did the energy blockade imposed by the U.S. on January 29th affect things?
–It was brutal. The last ship arrived on December 8th, and we didn't receive any more until the Russian ship with 100,000 tons. From January 29th onward, the possibility of acquiring fuel was blocked due to tariffs and the military presence in the Caribbean. Now there's talk of sanctions against entire countries, which discourages any supply.
"This paralyzed everything that depends on imported fuel: Mariel, Moa, the barges in Havana. For months we've been relying solely on our thermoelectric plants, gas, and solar power. If we subtract 1,400 MW of unavailability from 2,000 MW, we're left with a 600 MW shortfall; with fuel, the improvement would have been extraordinary."
—Were decisions made to protect the economy despite the blackouts?
—Yes. We decided to prioritize vital sectors such as agriculture, food production, and foreign exchange earners. We protected 631 electrical circuits throughout the country, which required more than 800 MW and were only affected under extreme conditions. This allowed for the irrigation of tobacco, corn, and soybeans, and the maintenance of export industries. There were more hours of blackout than anticipated because we allocated some of the energy to production; we couldn't continue with factories shut down.
–What is the program for 2026 and what new features does it bring?
–The Government Program has 62 detailed actions, broken down month by month and evaluated weekly. In 2026, the goal is not just to grow, but to consolidate and sustain what has been recovered. Today we have 1,114 MW of distributed generation available. We will continue to increase gas and oil production – we have already stopped the decline and are growing.
"The major development is the incorporation of energy storage systems: the resources are already in Cuba, in the installation phase. We have also resumed the program for manufactured cooking gas in Havana, which had been halted due to a lack of gas. The objective is to add 25,000 new customers, which reduces electricity demand."
"The priority is to maintain the thermoelectric plants with Cuban crude oil, because without that fuel we would face a total blackout."
"We buy crude oil and not refined products because it is more economically viable: from it we obtain gasoline, fuel oil, diesel, and LPG. Importing each product separately increases freight costs and the cost of external refining."
"Not all the refined fuel goes to electricity; some of the diesel and fuel oil (about 6,000 tons) is destined for hospitals, generators, and transportation. The liquefied gas will go to hospitals with gas boilers and food production centers."
"In the case of the Russian ship, it couldn't enter Cienfuegos due to draft issues, so it was unloaded in 90 hours at another port, transferred by coastal shipping to smaller vessels, and refining began."
—What is the main logistical challenge, and when did you notice an improvement?
—The tanks are empty. If we distribute 1,800 tons of diesel daily by road, it's consumed instantly. Transporting it to the far reaches of the country means that by the time it arrives in one place, the other is already out. We decided to build up minimal inventories to start everything at once. The fuel goes by ship to Mariel and Moa, with 24-hour logistics.
"The improvement was noticeable from April 17th: not as much as we'd hoped, but significant. We're distributing 800 tons daily of the 1,600 needed. If we used 1,600 tons, there would be fewer blackouts, but they would last half as long. This shipment will last until the end of April, and we're working to ensure its continuation."
—Why are there unequal blackouts between provinces, and can unforeseen events be planned for?
—No two provinces have the same electrical capacity. Theoretically, the formula is equitable, but if a province has more essential services, it has fewer circuits that can be shut down, and its population is more affected.
"We plan for midnight, but in between, Mariel or another thermal power plant goes offline, the sun shifts, or sargassum arrives and blocks the Energás intakes, and we have to adjust the schedule. Nobody plans for sargassum or the shutdown of a thermal power plant due to a breakdown."
–What does solar energy need to be stable, and what is the goal of the energy transition?
–It needs batteries. Solar power fluctuates, which generates variations in frequency, voltage, and consumption. Batteries stabilize this. There are four large sites in Cuba, totaling 200 MW, ready for when we have 3,000 MW of renewable energy. The batteries are already in the country.
"The first 50 MW site will allow us to exceed 900 MW. The goal of the energy transition is to achieve energy sovereignty for all energy sources. Not just solar parks: recovering the 7,827 wind turbines (5,673 are already operational), solar pumping for livestock and hydroelectric power, and the 409 biogas plants (only 124 are currently operating)."
–What concrete solutions have been implemented with limited funding?
–We purchased 15,000 solar-powered devices (Ecoflow type), modified to charge using only solar energy. These were distributed to teachers, doctors, labor heroes, and children dependent on electricity for medical reasons (171 initially, then 263 more). In addition, 5,000 solar systems were allocated to polyclinics, maternity homes, nursing homes, funeral homes, banks, offices of the National Electric Union, radio stations, and Etecsa (the national telecommunications company).
–What progress has been made in the energy transition?
–The transition is progressing on several fronts. Today, we have reached 15% renewable energy penetration when we include all the work being done by the private sector, state-owned companies, and government agencies. In total, we have generated approximately 1,700 MW, including both electricity generation and savings from water pumping using renewable sources. Entire companies have resolved 100% of their employees' energy needs using their own budgets. The private sector has also responded, financing lighting on Havana's avenues.
—What is the phased plan toward total energy sovereignty?
—The first phase is to reach 24% renewable energy by 2030. The second, to reach 40% by 2035, which would allow us to eliminate fuel imports, saving more than one million tons annually. The third phase, toward 2050, is total sovereignty with 100% renewable energy. Cuba has enormous potential in forest biomass, hydroelectric, wind, and even tidal power. This year we began installing the towers for the Herradura 1 wind farm.
