Strengthening Puerto Rico's energy system

Years after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico remains highly vulnerable to electric service disruptions that create public health emergencies and threaten access to clean drinking water, medical services, food, and other basic needs. Many residents still struggle with the aftermath of blackouts that occur regularly. Sky-high electricity prices have hampered the territory’s economic growth for years.

Puerto Rico must transform its electric grid into a resilient system that can bring communities clean, affordable and reliable power for years to come.

Watch: How Puerto Rico can be a model of resilience for areas vulnerable to climate change

With an initial grant from Fundación Colibrí Puerto Rico, Environmental Defense Fund began working in Puerto Rico in 2018. We seek to identify effective, equitable and long-lasting energy solutions that can bring clean, community-centered electricity to the archipelago and can meet the daily needs of residents, while making Puerto Rico more resilient to climate change.

A resilient island

EDF’s work centers on advancing a community-driven solar and storage project on the island municipality of Culebra and supporting a range of partners who are driving systemic change to the energy system across the entire territory. With political will, the right policies, programs and projects, Puerto Rico can meet its mandate to source 40% of its electricity from renewables by 2025 and 100% by 2050.

We approach this work holistically, leveraging our technical expertise, sustainable financing tools and energy reform experience to help develop long-term solutions to the island’s energy crisis.

Environmental Defense Fund is collaborating with local communities and coordinating with academic institutions, technical specialists, and financial experts to bring these community-driven solar and storage projects to Puerto Rico and support long-term solutions to the archipelago’s energy crisis.