Literature review of Cuban development : Insight from a PESEC framework

The study of energy transitions and the assessment of their potential requires a holistic understanding of the context in which they take place, as the political institutions, economic dynamics, social practices, environmental conditions, and cultural frames condition which alternatives and pathways for the transition to take place are deemed as feasible and worthwhile. What makes the case of Cuba particularly relevant for the study of energy transitions is that, due to its 20th-century history and the emerging trends of the island country in the current century, it is uniquely positioned to reach a sustainable state which might be further propelled by undergoing a transition towards intermittent renewable sources at a national scale. This chapter provides an overview of the current Cuban context within which a transition towards renewable, intermittent sources of energy could occur. This is necessary because it helps identify structural challenges that would need to be managed and windows of opportunity that could be exploited to incite such a transition. This overview takes the form of a literature review of Cuban development in the 21st century, although references to previous events will be made when necessary for further contextualization.Non peer reviewe