Puerto Rico Hit by Tropical Storm Ernesto

Spanish

Tropical storm Ernesto made landfall in Puerto Rico early this morning, in Vieques and Culebra, the first islands to receive the direct impact of strong winds and heavy rain, and caused flooding and power outages throughout the archipelago. While the extent of the destruction is still unknown, current reports suggest that many residents sustained damage to their homes. A major power outage affected more than 720,000 households.

"Ernesto is one more reminder of just how serious the energy crisis in Puerto Rico continues to be - even seven years after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the island. While more and more homes have solar panels and batteries, which provide resilience against chronic outages, the pace of the clean energy transition is way too slow."

"Fortunately, there are bright spots in communities like Culebra where residents are at the forefront of the clean energy transition, focusing first on providing resilient and affordable power to those who need it most. Environmental Defense Fund is committed to continue working with communities to create these opportunities and help Puerto Rico thrive and prosper long into the future."

EDF seeks to identify effective and equitable energy solutions that can bring clean, affordable, and reliable electricity to the communities of Puerto Rico, and can meet the daily needs of their families making the island more resilient to climate change. In particular, the organization's work focuses on promoting a community-driven solar and storage project on the island municipality of Culebra, and on supporting a variety of organizations that are driving systemic change in Puerto's electrical grid. EDF approaches this work holistically, leveraging technical expertise, sustainable financing tools and energy reform experience to help develop long-term solutions to the territory's energy crisis. For more information, visit www.edf.org/PuertoRico.