By Wennys Díaz Ballaga on September 27,2026
Looking ahead to next year, the main focus will be on renewable energy sources. foto: Ismael Batista Ramírez
Two hundred megawatts (MW) of electricity generated by photovoltaic solar farms will be allocated exclusively to water pumping in Havana, so that, in the first months of next year, this service in the capital will not depend on the National Electric System (SEN).
Meanwhile, distributed generation will make it possible to begin mitigating the impacts starting in November. To support the first 29 selected water supply sources and pumps, distributed-generation generators are being deployed.
Nearly 70 sites have been visited to date to conduct on-site assessments of options for ensuring water pumping and to determine the needs of each facility.
These actions are part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the energy vulnerability of water supply systems and guarantee the continuity of this essential service, using solutions that will be progressively extended to the rest of the provinces—a strategy that is reviewed weekly by the country’s top leadership.
During a broadcast of the program *Criterio Compartido* on Radio Rebelde, the First Secretary of the Party’s Central Committee and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, explained that distributed generation is the most immediate solution, while, looking ahead to next year, the primary focus will be on renewable energy sources (RES).
“200 megawatts of photovoltaic plants are expected to come online to be dedicated solely to the water pumping system,” Díaz-Canel specified. This will be complemented by the installation of solar complexes and energy storage systems.
This priority has a strategic rationale: water pumping is the activity with the highest electricity demand in the country. Reducing its dependence on the National Power System (SEN) and securing its own sources of power are therefore crucial to advancing the energy sovereignty of this service.
Source: Tribuna de la Habana, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English