Cuba&apos;s Energy Revolution and 2030 Policy Goals: More Penetration of Renewable Energy in Electricity Generation

Mario Alberto Arrastía-Avila, null; Lisa M. Glidden, null

doi:10.13169/intejcubastud.9.1.0073

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International Journal of Cuban Studies

Volume 9, Issue 1

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Cuba's Energy Revolution and 2030 Policy Goals: More Penetration of Renewable Energy in Electricity Generation

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Author(s): Mario Alberto Arrastía-Avila , Lisa M. Glidden

Publication date (Print): Spring 2017

Journal: International Journal of Cuban Studies

Publisher: Pluto Journals

Keywords: Cuba, energy revolution, renewable energy

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Abstract

Cuba has been remarkably successful at revitalising its energy sector over the last two decades, significantly increasing efficiency and reducing energy intensity and emissions. This article analyses those successes and looks at the policy challenges ahead for Cuba to achieve its 2030 energy policy goals. We argue the nascent success of the 2006 Energy Revolution is due to its comprehensive approach, targeting infrastructure, consumption habits and people's understanding of energy issues. We then examine some of Cuba's current energy challenges, presenting data on Cuba's energy mix as of 2014. We analyse the country's proposed energy policy to achieve 24% penetration of renewable energies in electricity generation by 2030. The Cuban government has an array of policy tools, from stimulating domestic production to changing foreign investment regulations, in order to achieve its goals. One of the most significant recent policy shifts includes the External Investment Law, which creates a regulatory framework and policies, including ones to utilise and develop perspectives of renewable sources of energy that will help to expedite the path toward a diverse energy mix with a large presence of renewables.

Content

Author and article information

Contributors

Mario Alberto Arrastía-Avila

Lisa M. Glidden

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.13169

Journal ID (publisher-id): intejcubastud

Title: International Journal of Cuban Studies

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 17563461

ISSN (Electronic): 1756347X

Publication date (Print): Spring 2017

Volume: 9

Issue: 1

Pages: 73-90

Affiliations

Cuban Society for the Promotion of Renewable Energies and Environmental Awareness (CUBASOLAR)

State University of New York, College at Oswego, USA

Article

Publisher ID: intejcubastud.9.1.0073

DOI: 10.13169/intejcubastud.9.1.0073

SO-VID: f5279484-cbea-4678-a7cb-0460b2784af8

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

References

Arrastía-Avila, M.A. (2015) Hacia un futuro energético sostenible . La Habana, Cuba: Editorial Científico Técnica.
Arrastía-Avila, M.A. and M.E. Limea Martínez (Eds.) (2011) Energía y Cambio Climático . La Habana, Cuba: Editorial Academia.
Bérriz Pérez, Luís (April, 2014) ‘Soberanía energética, medio ambiente y desarrollo local sostenible’. Lecture delivered during the National Workshop on Biogas sponsored by CUBASOLAR, Santa Clara, Cuba.
Braun, T.F. and L.M. Glidden (2014) Understanding Energy and Energy Policy . London, England: Zed Books.
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Granma (n.d.) ‘Cuba Investor Guide’. Available at http://www.granma.cu/file/sp/cartera-de-oportunidades-de-inversion-extranjera-23/datos/documentos/Cuba_guia-del-inversionista_ENG.pdf. (Accessed 30 March 2017.)
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Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Arrastía-Avila, M.A. (2015) Hacia un futuro energético sostenible . La Habana, Cuba: Editorial Científico Técnica.

[2] Arrastía-Avila, M.A. and M.E. Limea Martínez (Eds.) (2011) Energía y Cambio Climático . La Habana, Cuba: Editorial Academia.

[3] Bérriz Pérez, Luís (April, 2014) ‘Soberanía energética, medio ambiente y desarrollo local sostenible’. Lecture delivered during the National Workshop on Biogas sponsored by CUBASOLAR, Santa Clara, Cuba.

[4] Braun, T.F. and L.M. Glidden (2014) Understanding Energy and Energy Policy . London, England: Zed Books.

[5] CEPALSTAT (2016) Base de Datos . Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe. Available at http://interwp.cepal.org/sisgen/ConsultaIntegrada.asp?idAplicacion=22&idtema=691&idIndicador=2023&idioma=e. (Accessed 30 March 2017.)

[6] Cubadebate (2015) ‘Central Nuclear de Cienfuegos será confinatorio de desechos peligrosos’. Available at http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2015/12/21/central-nuclear-de-cienfuegos-sera-confinatorio-de-desechos-peligrosos/#.VyF9y5MrKT8. (Accessed 21 December 2015.)

[7] Cuban Democracy Act 1992. United States Code. 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse. Available at https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Documents/cda.pdf. (Accessed 2 June 2016.)

[8] Domínguez, J.I. (1989) To Make a World Safe for Revolution: Cuba's Foreign Policy . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

[9] Famelli, D. (2007) ‘Cuba Flies Lone Flag for Sustainability’, New Scientist 195(2624): 10.

[10] Franco, M., P. Orduñez, B. Caballero, et al. (2007) ‘Impact of Energy Intake, Physical Activity, and Population-Wide Weight Loss on Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Mortality in Cuba, 1980–2005’, American Journal of Epidimiology 166(12): 1374–80. Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17881386. (Accessed 27 April 2016.)

[11] Granma (n.d.) ‘Cuba Investor Guide’. Available at http://www.granma.cu/file/sp/cartera-de-oportunidades-de-inversion-extranjera-23/datos/documentos/Cuba_guia-del-inversionista_ENG.pdf. (Accessed 30 March 2017.)

[12] Greenpeace (2005) Decentralising Power: An Energy Revolution for the 21st Century . London, England. Available at http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/MultimediaFiles/Live/FullReport/7154.pdf. (17 May 2017.)

[13] Guevara-Stone, L. (2008) Viva La Revolucíon Energética. Alternatives Journal 34(6): 24–28.

[14] Guevara-Stone, L. (March/April, 2009) Renewable Energy World 12(2): 106–12.

[15] H.R.92 – Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (Enrolled Bill [Final as Passed Both House and Senate] – ENR). Available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c104:H.R.927.ENR. (Accessed 25 February 2016.)

[16] International Atomic Energy Agency (2008) Cuba: A Country Profile on Sustainable Energy Development . Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency. http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1328_web.pdf. (Accessed 30 March 2017.)

[17] International Energy Agency (2013) CO₂ Emissions from Fuel Combustion Highlights . 2013 ed. France: International Energy Agency.

[18] Koenig, M.E.D. (4 May, 2012) ‘What Is KM? Knowledge Management Explained’, KM World . Available at http://www.kmworld.com/Articles/Editorial/What-Is-…/What-is-KM-Knowledge-Management-Explained-82405.aspx. (Accessed 1 February 2016.)

[19] Lane, P. (2000) ‘Cuba's Green Design’, Peace Review 12(2): 319–24.

[20] Partido Comunista de Cuba (18 April, 2011). ‘Lineamientos de la Política Económica y Social’. La Habana, Cuba. Available at http://www.cubadebate.cu/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/folleto-lineamientos-vi-cong.pdf. (Accessed 17 May 2017.)

[21] Mesa Redonda (12 August, 2014) ‘Presente y Futuro de la energía eléctrica en Cuba’. TeleSUR . Available at http://mesaredonda.cubadebate.cu/mesa-redonda/2014/08/12/presente-y-futuro-de-la-energia-electrica-en-cuba-2/. (Accessed May 2017.)

[22] Miroff, N. (8 December, 2015) ‘The 20 Largest U.S. Property Claims in Cuba’. The Washington Post . Available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/12/08/the-20-largest-u-s-property-claims-in-cuba/?utm_term=.5f09ba6f1c0c. (Accessed 17 June 2017.)

[23] Murphy, P. and M. Faith (2013) ‘Cuba: Lessons from a Forced Decline’, in Erik Assadourian, Linda Starke, and Thomas Prugh (eds) State of the World 2013 . Washington, DC: Island Press, 332–426.

[24] Newman, N. (2009) ‘Cuba's Power Revolution’. E&T Engineering and Technology Magazine 4(16). Available at https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2009/09/cubas-power-revolution/. (Accessed 27 April 2016.)

[25] Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información (Diciembre, 2008) ‘Estadísticas energéticas de la Revolución 1959–2008’. Available at http://www.one.cu/50aniversarioEstadisticasEnergeticas.htm. (Accessed 29 May 2017.)

[26] Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información (2015) ‘Anuario Estadístico de Cuba’, in Minería y Energía 2014 . Available at http://www.one.cu/aec2014/00%20Anuario%20Estadistico%202014.pdf. (Accessed 29 May 2017.)

[27] Pérez, D., I. Lopez and I. Berdellans (2005) ‘Evaluation of Energy Policy in Cuba Using ISED’, Natural Resources Forum 29:298–307.

[28] Periera Hernández, G. and T.M. González Zorrilla (4–6 February, 2015). ‘Taller: Desarrollo de Capacidades para la Integración de Objetos de Desarrollo Sostenible de Energía, Metas e Indicadores en los Programas Nacionales en Países de América Latina’. United Nations Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. Available at https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/13097Cuba.pdf. (Accessed 27 April 2016.)

[29] Rodríguez, J.L. (5 November, 2014) ‘Cuba y sus perspectivas energéticas: una revisión reciente (II)’. Cubadebate . Available at http://www.cubadebate.cu/especiales/2014/09/05/cuba-y-sus-perspectivas-energeticas-una-revision-reciente-ii/#.WR3lPFPyuL8. (Accessed 29 May 2017.)

[30] Stolik-Novygrod, D. (2010) ‘Dos sabias decisiones’, Energía y Tú 52:4–8.

[31] World Wildlife Fund for Nature (2006) Living Planet Report . World Wildlife Fund for Nature. Available at http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/all_publications/living_planet_report/living_planet_report_timeline/lp_2006/. (Accessed 26 January 2016.)