Sweeping blackouts in Cuba raise the question: Why has the island's solar buildout been so slow?

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Cuba’s large-scale blackouts that left 10 million people without power this month may not have happened if the government had built out more solar power to boost its failing electric grid as promised, some experts say. “But they haven’t really built the policies to get there.” Cuban officials blame the blackouts on the U.S. trade embargo and other sanctions, the pandemic's effect on tourism, and emigration all inhibiting Cuba's economy. European leaders tell him they “just can’t in good faith encourage businesses in their countries to invest in Cuba.” Cuban officials acknowledged in recent days that more widespread solar power would have helped alleviate some of the misery from the recent outages. “We are thinking about” some regulations that would stimulate these solar purchases, the chief of the nation’s electric utility, Alfredo López, said.