People's
Democracy
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of
India (Marxist) No. 04
January 26, 2003
(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of
India (Marxist) |
Vol.
XXVII No. 04 January 26, 2003 |
Cuba
To
Have
100%
Electricity
For
The
Population
ACCORDING
to
Alfredo
Curbelo
from
the
Ministry
of
Science,
Technology
and
the
Environment
(CITMA)
the
Cuban
government
is
proposed
to
bring
electricity
to
100
per
cent
of
island
homes,
of
which
80-100,000,
or
6
per
cent,
have
no
power
source.
Curbelo,
head
of
CITMA’s
prioritized
program,
stated
that
while
two
billion
persons
in
the
world
lack
access
to
electricity
services,
in
Cuba
86-87
per
cent
of
the
population
receive
it
via
the
national
grid
and
close
to
10
per
cent
via
diesel
plants,
mini-hydroelectric
stations
and
combined
generation
in
sugarcane
complexes.
Solar
panels
are
used
for
powering
small
economic
and
social
installations
in
remote
areas,
which
would
be
very
costly
to
connect
to
the
national
supply.
To
date,
more
than
2,000
rural
schools,
some
400
doctors’
surgeries,
200
video
rooms
and
8-12
hospitals
have
solar-generated
electric
power.
Curbelo
highlighted
some
of
the
works
undertaken,
particularly
in
the
installation
of
tourist
services,
where
solar
panels
have
been
combined
with
Aeolian
systems
due
to
the
favorable
cost-benefit
ratio.
He
also
explained
that
studies
of
the
energy
potential
in
various
areas
of
the
country
are
being
undertaken
to
guarantee
the
optimum
solution
for
an
electricity
service
is
employed
in
the
various
locations.
Access
to
electrical
services
in
remote
areas
of
Cuban
geography
has
made
it
possible
to
install
communications,
television,
video
and
computer
systems,
as
well
as
medical
equipment
in
doctors’
surgeries
and
for
domestic
use,
with
the
related
benefits
to
the
population’s
education,
public
health
and
culture.
(Courtesy:
Granma
International
December
30,
2002)
