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Yale Climate Connection readers in Puerto Rico are taking steps to protect themselves from the island’s frequent power outages.
“While Puerto Rico seems unprepared to endure power outages, this is daily life…and Puerto Ricans are used to it due to the promises of politicians who have come to power,” one resident told us in response to our questionnaire about how readers viewed the outages. Take care of yourself during a power outage.
“Before going on stage [los políticos] They are opponents of anyone in power and they make Puerto Ricans believe they are on their side when in reality all they do is take advantage of the situation. But most Puerto Ricans are ready for solar panel systems, with more than 120,000 homes already installed, and hospitals, shopping malls and pharmaceutical companies also implementing them.
Extremely dangerous heat
2023 is the third warmest year Puerto Rico has ever experienced, and 2024 could be the hottest year on record. The high temperatures put further stress on the island's power grid. The situation becomes increasingly precarious as a population requires air conditioning to keep cool and an aging population requires medications that often require refrigeration.
The Puerto Rican archipelago has experienced power outages over the years due to damaged and mismanaged power grids, as well as frequent storms and hurricanes. The Puerto Rico capital of San Juan is five times more likely to experience high temperatures in July 2024 due to man-made climate change, according to the Climate Change Index developed by the nonprofit research group Climate Central. Using air conditioning has become not just a luxury but a necessity.
Electricity prices continue to rise, and so does the use of solar energy
At the same time, electricity prices continue to rise, leaving many people unable to pay their electricity bills. Older power plants that rely on fossil fuels (88% of total energy) have not been rapidly replaced by renewable energy sources, and governments appear to have little interest in accelerating this change.
However, as always, the people of Puerto Rico know how to prepare and remain resilient as a community. Currently, 12% of electricity comes from the rooftops of homes and businesses, thanks to subsidies and net metering, a program that allows households with solar panels to sell excess electricity to the local grid and receive a credit on their bills. However, solar systems are still expensive, and not everyone can pay up to $30,000 for a complete system with batteries.
“I know it is necessary to purchase a solar system for my home,” one Keys resident wrote to us. “But the companies currently available (Power Solar, WindMar) all pay monthly [y es] The monthly payment was much more expensive than the electricity bill, so we continued to use Luma (Puerto Rico's private electricity provider) even though it made us feel bad all the time. It should be an option.
Residents without solar panels made sure they had enough gasoline to generate electricity. One woman wrote to us that she “had a little chat” before the danger of a storm or power outage. [de WhatsApp] Neighbors for the needs of the community.
A resident of San Lorenzo, southeast of the main island, told us that I made sure a solar system (batteries and solar panels) was installed on the island [la casa de] my parents. He went on to explain that there had been a long power outage and he was staying with his parents. “If time is short, I spend it in my apartment because I have a solar generator.”
“Also…. For food and medicine, I bought a small refrigerator for my parents that does not consume so much electricity. In my case, if I want to keep meat and medicine that need to survive at a certain temperature, I will have to buy ice packs .
Other residents purchased generators.
“I fill Ziploc bags with water and freeze them. The ice helps me keep items in the freezer cold. Additionally, I buy food that needs to be refrigerated for a week. “I have a power plant, and it's cold all the time. “
Another threat from frequent power outages is mosquitoes. For residents without generators or solar panels, the only option is to open doors and windows to create air circulation and thus allow mosquitoes to enter. Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya have increased in recent years. In addition, rising temperatures facilitate the spread of mosquitoes.
“I have a flashlight, batteries, a beach cooler for water and food. I have a gas stove to heat food. I have a mosquito net on the bed and citronella in the house so I can fight the mosquitoes. “I have a battery A fan and a rosary to pray for the power to be restored soon. ” another resident told us.
Perhaps one of the most shocking comments was this:
“We have to take into account in our preparedness plans that whether it's a hurricane or a power outage, our life scenarios are different. The power system deteriorates and we have to rely on ourselves or our family. No more thinking,'[a]”The light is coming now.”
This is a sad but unfortunately true summary of the reality in Puerto Rico. However, there is hope. In recent months, there has been a clear shift in Puerto Rico and on social networks calling for change. There is a big push to register voters for the upcoming November elections. Despite apparent barriers to voting, residents waited for hours to register and receive voter cards.
Hopefully, in the future, residents with rosary beads won’t have to pray for the return of light.
