China Is Helping Drive Cuba's Solar Boom (washingtonpost.com)
- Reference: 0181051402
- News link: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/26/03/19/2157201/china-is-helping-drive-cubas-solar-boom
- Source link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/02/28/china-cuba-solar-trump-oil-blockade/
> "China is [2]helping Cuba race to capture renewable solar energy as the United States imposes an [3]effective oil blockade on the Caribbean island, creating its [4]worst energy crisis in decades ," reports The Washington Post. Later in the article, it states that "China's decades-long push into clean energy technology is now helping to protect it from the soaring oil and gas crisis spurred by Trump's war against Iran," and that "Chinese exports of solar equipment to Cuba skyrocketed from about $5 million in 2023 to $117 million in 2025 and show no sign of stopping."
According to researchers from Ember, solar could be responsible for as much as 10% of Cuba's electricity generation. "That would be among the fastest expansions of solar energy anywhere [...] and place Cuba ahead of most countries -- including the U.S. -- in the share of electricity generated by sun power," the report says.
As the Iran war drives energy prices higher, countries around the world are working overtime to [5]reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. China sees this as a big opportunity. "Chinese authorities have made clear that they intend to replicate what they're doing in Cuba elsewhere," reports the Washington Post.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~AleRunner
[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/02/28/china-cuba-solar-trump-oil-blockade/
[3] https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/18/americas/cuba-us-pressure-blackout-latam-intl
[4] https://apnews.com/article/cuba-power-outage-electricity-4dcd92d4b7b3bbeda88622b543074ceb
[5] https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/iran-war-energy-shock-sparks-global-push-reduce-fossil-fuel-dependence-2026-03-18/
I am never disappointed (Score:2, Insightful)
This same Cuba that has effectively ceased to exist as a country, not to mention no power for most of the last 2 weeks?
If I ever want to hear the stupidest possible take on world events, I know where to come.
Re: (Score:2)
To your own comments?
Re: (Score:2)
So what is stupid about this? The idea of having energy independence by generating your own (which would help stop Cuba's current oppression by the US?) The idea that cheap Chinese panels help with this? The idea that the Iran War has spiked energy prices around the world? The idea that a small country is suddenly massively adopting solar?
What part of this is a stupid take? I mean other than your comment of course, which seems to make absolutely no point...
gee, I guess the U.S. missed the memo (Score:4, Interesting)
Now that el Bunko has pocketed all those billions from Arab Gulf countries (into his personal accounts and not the U.S. Treasury) and the extra dosh from American petro companies, suddenly renewable energy is looking a lot better. And it looks like the U.S. will have to guarantee the Arab Gulf countries' security for quite a while. el Bunko only wants $200 Billion in extra money to pay for the security of Arab Gulf countries, and higher gas prices for the American consumers. This after jerking healthcare from millions of American by xing out a measly $34 Billion in the Big Dumb Bill.
Too bad the U.S. went down the rat hole with el Bunko. And the fun doesn't stop there. Climate change from the extra atmospheric carbon is sterilizing the American West.
China white knighting Cuba's US caused power... (Score:3)
Issues with renewables offerings really has to hit this administration where it hurts.
There's just no way Cubans can view US as the good guys if this works.
Re: (Score:2)
> There's just no way Cubans can view US as the good guys if this works.
What would ever make any Cubans at this point view the US as the good guys.
V funny that Trump is pushing RoW to renewables (Score:2)
Given his visceral loathing for renewables, it is absolutely delightful to recognise that his push to recarbonise power systems has been substantially undone by his idiotic decisions in relation to Iran. Someone should send him a prize for services to the wind turbine, solar, battery and EV industries. If we're lucky that will send him completely over the edge and he'll have a stroke and end up with several of those disabilities he so enjoys mocking
All good but... (Score:1)
Night time is a thing in Cuba as well
Sun blocking blimps (Score:2)
That's what I think the future will bring to Cuba if they resist the US with having relatively reliable solar power...I wish this was a joke.
It's an experiment (Score:2)
To see if a nation can survive and oil blockade with solar alone, which is what China will need to do if they go to war
"helping" yeah so good of them to "help" (Score:2, Insightful)
Cuba has got so much money to pay for all of that "help". /sarcasm. More like Cuba is entering into voluntary servitude (like they are so used to doing with Russia and Venuzuela), selling out the country so that China can gain a geo-political advantage on the USA.
Re: (Score:3)
"Cuba is entering into voluntary servitude" - how does that work? There is no fuel to keep buying from China once the panels have been purchased and installed unlike having to buy fossil fuels from Russia or Venezuela forever?
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> ... selling-out the country so that ...
Nobody complained when the USA was buying Cuba. Losing that servitude has resulted in the USA having the longest tantrum in the history of the world,
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I replied to the wrong post: This is meant to be beside your post, not under.
Re: "helping" yeah so good of them to "help" (Score:3)
That is an interesting take. Of course what actually happened is that the USA tried (and are still trying) to impose an involuntary servitude on Cuba, and Cuba is doing what it can to survive. Voluntary is better than involuntary. Regardless, thank the USA for that situation.
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China is taking the long-term view here, building up goodwill in Cuba and in other countries where they see themselves potentially in the same situation. I hope they realise that military action with Taiwan would do a lot of damage to that goodwill.
Why is the US still bullying Cuba in the first place? It is not as though Cuba is a threat.
Re: "helping" yeah so good of them to "help" (Score:2)
Cuba is bullied because the Cuban community in Miami is numerous and have a loud opinion to doing so. Florida is generally quite important in winning a presidential election.
Re: (Score:2)
Funny how western countries often "help" poor countries with loans over which (1) usury must be paid, (2) it must be paid back as well as (3) some critical function of society has to be built. Why is there never a question on that on /. ?
Re: (Score:3)
Buying solar panels that will work for 30+ years and don't need any fuel or manufacturer supported maintenance is hardly entering into servitude.
Pakistan has also been somewhat insulated from the Israel/Trump war with Iran, because they deployed a lot of solar that displaced LNG.
It's going to happen more and more because solar and storage are so incredibly cheap, and it just happens that China is the country that made the most of this opportunity by developing massive solar manufacturing capability.
Re: (Score:2)
well, seems better than the servitude to USA, that clearly do not care about the people living there, they just want to control it