There are 11 million ppl who live on Cuba.

Geri

@freyjfreyj would that generate enough watts for 11 million people?

Don-kun

@Geri @freyjfreyj yes.

Conny Nasch

@Geri I posted this on my FB site too. Added the 67 year project for Cuban destruction article.

Geri

@Don_kun @freyjfreyj

I looked into why not solar

Financial Barriers: The U.S. embargo restricts #Cuba's access to international financing and raises the cost of importing components. With a $12 billion foreign debt, the government lacks the capital for massive upfront investments.

Infrastructure Issues: The national grid was built in the 1980s and is too unstable to handle large amounts of variable solar power without expensive battery storage, which Cuba currently lacks

Oh dear

Geri

@Petesmom isn't this just more hegemony?

HarriettMB

@Geri @Don_kun @freyjfreyj But people could have smaller individual solar set-ups on their houses, or other buildings. It doesn’t have to be a big thing run by the state or a business. That would take the load off the grid, and it would also be much more difficult for the likes of the USA to punish the country by stopping fuel deliveries.

Stoneface Vimes

@HarriettMB @Geri @Don_kun @freyjfreyj yes. Every bit taken off the grid load means the grid can work better/longer for those who can't use solar. The only problem I can see is that with embargoes in place it'd be difficult to provide more hardware than was actually in Cuba already.

Mike 🇬🇧 🇪🇺

@HarriettMB @Geri @Don_kun @freyjfreyj@mastodon.social

My understanding is that it's very difficult for individuals to import anything into Cuba independently of the state.

I believe that China is sympathetic to Cuba but getting anything onto the island is fraught with problems due to the combination of US embargoes, Cuban debt, and Cuban state inflexibility.

Cuban people have learnt to be resilient and resourceful - the current nastiness from the US government will test their resolve.

Linux and praxis: part of the resistance 🇵🇸 ☮️

@HarriettMB @Geri @Don_kun @freyjfreyj

Back to China. China is the solar superpower and would provide the infrastructure just like Belt and Road. Not necessarily hegemony - not necessarily economic imperialism. The issue would be the US reaction. Cuban agriculture has already become mostly decarbonised. The problem still remains of over-reliance on a single cash crop when there is an embargo.
There is already stuff on the net: https://cuba-solidarity.org.uk/

Sign the petition for the EDM.

Steve Woods

@Geri tRump's policies are responsible for millions of deaths around the world.

He should be in the dock at the International Criminal Court.

USA = world's largest and most persistent rogue state.

HarriettMB

@capnthommo @Geri @Don_kun @freyjfreyj Seems like panels, even domestic ones, will have to come into Cuba in small pieces/individual cells and literally be assembled in the country. I truly hope this is possible.

Mark

@Geri As I stated, I too am sympathetic to anyone who gets energy abruptly cut off.

Lot of solar & wind resources in Caribbean. I’m not the only one that thinks Cuba needs solar ASAP. The Cubans are. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/cubans-fight-blackouts-with-solar-us-extends-oil-chokehold-2026-02-20/

Here’s another look at solar, wind, & their need to upgrade their power grid to reduce dependence on oil:

https://cuba.miami.edu/environment/exploring-energy-options-for-cuba/index.html

Christian Berger DECT 2763

@Geri This might give Cuba a great boost towards renewables, which would, in the long run, be much more economical for them. After a shock, it might give their economy a long term boost.

JackPearse

@Geri Solar brings independence

Mark · bans-fight-blackouts-with-solar-us-extends-oil-chokehold-2026-02-20/

@Geri They’ve known a long time about risks of foreign oil dependence; they just moved slowly (as have most nations).

The downside of being slow is their current predicament. The upside is that renewables (especially solar) & battery storage have been exponentially dropping in price & are the cheaper (& more secure) way forward.

Mark

@Geri “The Trump admin says its measures increase pressure for political change in Cuba… press secretary Leavitt said it was in Cuba's ‘best interest to make…dramatic changes very soon.’”
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/cuba-blackouts-trump-us-oil-b2924702.html

I say: Great if those ‘dramatic changes’ render obsolete the use of oil as a geopolitical weapon against Cuba.

Hopefully the international community accelerates aid to help them transition.

Mark

@Geri @freyjfreyj @HarriettMB @capnthommo @Don_kun Yes. As noted elsewhere on this thread, Cubans are scrambling to install solar in response to the petrol shortage USA caused. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/cuba-blackouts-trump-us-oil-b2924702.html

Best time to plant a tree was 25 years ago; second best time is now.

And costs of solar, wind, battery storage have come down exponentially.

Any aid orgs working on this?

#solar #renewableEnergy #cuba

Mark

@Geri @Don_kun @freyjfreyj @capnthommo @HarriettMB

US State Department has a policy of approval for certain exports to #Cuba, including:

“Items necessary for the environmental protection of U.S. and international air quality, waters or coastlines, including items related to renewable energy or energy efficiency.”

https://www.state.gov/fact-sheet-provision-of-humanitarian-assistance-to-cuba/

Mark

I think such exports would have to go to citizens directly, not to Cuban government. But that’s for the lawyers & such

Larry

@Geri
One of my sisters, a son, and a daughter of my lady, at different times stayed with Cuban families for their vacations. I'm getting messages of concern for those families that were their hosts.