A method is provided for optimizing energy efficiency over an energy-harvesting Long Term Evolution cellular network. The method includes assigning (a) resource blocks, (b) transmission modes, and (c) bit loadings on the resource blocks to a set of users such that (i) the assigned resource blocks satisfy a system of linear ascending inequality constraints, and (ii) respective sums of the bit loadings for each of the users do not exceed respective queue sizes pertaining to the each of the users. The method further includes incorporating a resource block and transmission mode assignment for a user into downlink scheduler of a base station to cause the downlink scheduler to perform downlink scheduling in accordance with the resource block and transmission mode assignment.