Cuba has significantly broadened its renewable energy tax incentive program to include private sector participants through newly enacted Resolution 41/2026. The updated regulatory framework, published in the extraordinary Official Gazette No. 30, extends income tax exemptions to self-employed workers, agricultural producers, artists, intellectuals, and other individual economic actors who invest in renewable energy projects.
Deputy Minister of Finance and Prices Yenisley Ortiz Mantecón clarified that the benefits apply equally to projects designed for self-consumption and those capable of contributing electricity to the National Electric Energy System. This policy revision builds upon the foundation established by Decree-Law 345 of 2017 and subsequent regulations, specifically addressing previous limitations that restricted exemptions to certain tariff items applicable to individuals.
The incentive program requires applicants to obtain technical certification from the National Office for the Rational Use of Energy (Onure) verifying that their investment genuinely supports renewable energy development. Approved projects can enjoy tax benefits for up to eight years, corresponding to their investment recovery period as determined by Onure.
Since the initial resolution in 2023, Onure has received 168 energy license applications—95 from non-state entities and 73 from the state sector. Currently, 56 projects are operational with granted tax benefits across provinces including Villa Clara, Camagüey, and Havana, while 112 applications remain under evaluation.
The government acknowledges that these measures may reduce immediate tax revenues but emphasizes their strategic importance in accelerating Cuba’s energy transition. The policy includes compliance mechanisms: Onure conducts periodic audits, and the National Tax Administration Office (ONAT) may revoke exemptions if investments fail to meet established requirements or if imported equipment doesn’t correspond to approved projects.