Villa Clara on the Possible Path to Energy Sovereignty

New Solar Park in Villa Clara Advances National Energy Transition
With the commissioning of Cumbre, a new solar photovoltaic park (PVP) in Villa Clara located in the municipality of Placetas, the province consolidates its leadership in the national energy transition, as it will incorporate an additional 21.8 megawatts of clean power into the system through the operation of 43,904 high-tech panels.

Osvaldo Rodríguez Echevarría, Director of Investment and Development at the Villa Clara Electric Company (EEVC), stated to the ACN that this project, built on 40 hectares of complex terrain, is a decisive step toward the territory's generation sovereignty.

"More than just panels under the sun, this is an engineering work that demonstrates our capacity to transform Cuba's solar potential into concrete social benefit," he affirmed.

Engineering Feat and Workforce Mobilization
He also assured that the project, with an installation of 1,568 support tables on over 18,800 foundation piles, deployed a workforce that reached peaks of 924 daily workers.

"The 43,904 panels, each with a unit capacity of 555 watts, connect to seven technological inverter containers and have their own meteorological station to optimize energy capture," he explained.

Started in 2025, he said, the work was executed by the EEVC with the participation of dozens of entities, including the leading role of the Construction Company for Tourism Works in Cayo Santa María and local micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Social and Infrastructure Benefits
Beyond its energy potential impact, the Cumbre PVP has already generated direct social benefits for the Placetas community, including road paving from the Central Highway to the Special School and pothole repair on the road to Fomento, Rodríguez Echevarría commented.

Integrated Provincial Strategy
Armando Hernández Pedroso, Director of the National Office for the Control of Rational Energy Use in the region, specified that this project integrates into a far-reaching provincial strategy involving both the state and private sectors.

By the end of 2025, he explained, Villa Clara exceeded five thousand kilowatts peak of installed capacity from renewable sources—a leadership that is being consolidated with projects like this one and brings the province closer to the goal of reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

Citizen Perspectives on Progress and Challenges
Despite the progress, some citizens acknowledge the road ahead. "Although the energy independence strategy is brilliant and necessary, and every installed panel brings us closer to a definitive solution, the truth is that short-term effectiveness is not yet felt, because we continue to suffer very disruptive blackouts that affect daily life. Hopefully, these large investments will soon translate into stability for our homes," reflected Carlos Manuel Gil Toledo, a resident of Santa Clara.

A Key Piece in National Energy Diversification
The Cumbre PVP in the municipality of Placetas—together with others already installed in the province, such as the one in Rojas in Remedios and Calabazar de Sagua in Encrucijada—represents a fundamental piece in diversifying the national energy matrix, contributing to the sustainable development of Villa Clara, where at least nine sites of this type are intended to be installed.