{
  "id": 12652604,
  "title": "A surge in US solar exports helps Cuba keep some lights on",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/a-surge-in-us-solar-exports-helps-cuba-keep-some-lights-on",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-07T15:21:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/ios/world/2026-10-07-a-surge-in-us-solar-exports-helps-cuba-keep-some-lights-on/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When Cuba suffered its seventh national blackout this year, guests at La Campana in Havana continued to party. Thanks to the event center's solar panels and backup batteries, they remained unaware that the lights were out. Cuba's constant power troubles have made life miserable for its 9.4 million inhabitants. However, this hardship is being alleviated by one of the swiftest solar adoption rates in the region. The United States is playing a role in keeping at least some of the lights on for the island. In the first seven months of this year, the US exported $6.3 million worth of solar cells and modules to Cuba, up 1,070% compared to all of 2025, when only $538,000 worth of equipment was shipped to the island from American ports. While China remains the primary supplier by far, their exports to Cuba have dropped by 83% from 2025's full-year tally, according to BloombergNEF data. US shipments have become a lifeline for average Cubans trying to power their phones or keep their businesses running. Ramiro Llovet, who owns La Campana, runs the business out of his Havana home and hosts events for groups of up to 350 people. Despite US President Donald Trump's efforts to pressure Cuba, his administration allows goods to be sent to Cuban entrepreneurs through a loophole in the longstanding trade embargo. This surge in US solar exports has not only helped prevent a complete humanitarian collapse in Cuba but also created a dependency on US assistance due to the lack of other benefactors. The energy crisis has forced the island to ration power, with Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío reporting that he has only had power at his home for two to three hours a day for the past eight months. President Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged that solar parks now produce 1,418 megawatts of energy, accounting for about a fifth of the country's total electric generation, while the private sector supplies 20% of its own energy needs. However, some analysts, such as Jorge Piñon from the University of Texas Energy Institute, argue that Cuba is not adopting solar in a strategic manner due to the lack of utility-scale battery storage, limiting the effectiveness of solar during off-peak hours.",
  "summary": "Cuba’s chronic power woes have made life a misery on the island of 9.4 million people. But that pain is being mitigated by one of the fastest solar adoption rates in the hemisphere",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}