What energy storage systems are there in Cuban office buildings

Why is the energy sector at a crossroads in Cuba?

Cuba’s energy sector is at a crossroads. The country’s mostly fossil fuel-fired energy system faces a number of longstanding and serious challenges, including breakdowns at aging power plants, decreasing fuel imports and fuel shortages, and the growing threat of climate change-related disruptions.

How can Cuba build a more resilient energy system?

Building a Cleaner, More Resilient Energy System in Cuba recommends numerous ways by which domestic policy in Cuba can prioritize working towards a more sustainable, resilient grid — especially by investing in the energy transition — and ways in which international cooperation can support these goals.

Why is energy storage important in Latin America and the Caribbean?

It will also be a key enabler of mass decarbonization and climate change mitigation, facilitating the expansion of variable renewable energy sources such as wind and solar while ensuring grid security. However, energy storage deployment in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is still nascent.

Is Cuba's energy infrastructure in a precarious state of aging and disrepair?

The report highlights the issue that not only is Cuba’s energy infrastructure in a precarious state of aging and disrepair, but also that its entire energy system relies heavily on external aid and imported fossil fuels.

How will Cuba's relationship with other countries impact the energy transition?

Cuba’s relationships with other countries will be key to realizing the energy transition. Since 2000, Venezuela has been Cuba’s primary source of imported oil. However, political and economic troubles in Venezuela caused oil exports to Cuba to fall by about half, resulting in Cuba increasingly seeking oil imports from Mexico and Russia.

Should Cuba update its energy grid?

While small-scale, such renewable energy initiatives can reduce pressure on the energy grid and provide relief in especially vulnerable places. Due to rising temperatures and increasingly unreliable energy infrastructure, action to update Cuba’s energy grid is urgently necessary.