In a recent report, the U.S. Department of Energy just suggested that Puerto Rico make a large-scale investment in solar energy, here’s why they did it.
100% Renewable by 2050
This week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a one-year progress report on their on-going investigation into Puerto Rico’s electrical infrastructure. The report suggests that the island should begin heavily investing in renewable energy, specifically in small-scale, distributed solar power.
The investigation is part of a larger goal that the government has of helping Puerto Rico to meet its goal of using 100% renewable energy by 2050. Due to the island’s geography and topology, its best source of renewable energy is solar, and so this recent report argues that widespread solar investment will be key to meeting this 2050 goal.
Hopefully Hurricane-Proof
Both the investigation and this suggestion were prompted after multiple hurricanes left Puerto Ricans without power for days. Since 2017, the island has experienced roughly ten hurricanes, with Hurricane Maria entirely destroying the island’s power grid.
Part of the benefit of a widely distributed solar grid on Puerto Rico would be its resilience in the event of another Maria-like hurricane. Smaller solar farms and residential solar power means that even if there are some failures throughout the grid, the entire system would not fail.
From the Caribbean to New England
Even though Massachusetts doesn’t face the exact same problems as Puerto Rico, the island’s investment in solar energy shows how renewable energy can solve a number of problems. As an affordable alternative to fossil fuel, solar represents a resilient option for many New Englanders.
At Summit Solar, our goal is to help you figure out what kind of solar solutions will work best for your specific situation. Now is the perfect time to make an investment in your future, just in case those hurricanes stray a little bit farther north.