It's 5:30 in the morning Cafecito Be careful, the aroma of coffee beans is synonymous with dawn. Grab our cups tightly with both hands. My mother, father, grandfather, I sit in the kitchen, and several generations gathered under the flashing kitchen lights to discuss the future day. I am very happy to sound together in the new year.
When we started to share our expectations, the lights of the kitchen suddenly flickered. Then it glows and dissipates. The waves were buzzing, caught in a deafening silence. power failureEssence Another power outage. In this silence thickness, my family did not explain everything. The trembling, frustration sigh, and the anxiety that suddenly penetrated into their faces. They have seen it before. But now it is not. Not today. Except today, one day.
We moved to the survival mode. When we were looking for the game, ignited candles, dragged out the generator, and hiked to find gasoline, moved it synchronized. Make sure that everything will be fine. Make sure you can achieve it through another power outage.
The story of my family is a story that tells the story of millions of Puerto Ricans. These Puerto Ricans (a private Canadian American energy company) in Hurricane Maria since the Puerto Rico (a private Canadian American energy company) conducted the power grid on the island in 2017 in 2017 Control to control the energy resources on the island to control the island's grid. Essence Although it is expected to develop a powerful and effective power grid, the power outage is still frequent, and the power outage destroys the daily life on the entire island. These interruptions are not only inconvenient. They are the symptoms of deep -rooted systemic failure, endangering the physical and mental health of the Puerto Ricans.
It is understood that the media usually focuses on the direct and practical impact of power outages: closed companies, spoiled food and stopped public transportation. The economic loss of power outages on the island is simply shocking. The initial economic impact of Hurricane Maria was estimated to be $ 55 billion. Many small companies that are already struggling in the fragile economy have to turn off after repeated power outages, causing more families to fall into poverty. This vicious cycle exacerbates the economic instability on the island. More than 40 % of the islanders live in poverty.
Under these universal problems, a more insidious burden: the physical and mental health loss of Puerto Rico citizen. Due to the power outage, the hospital was scrambling to maintain the operation of the life -saving equipment, and it was easy to fail to rely on the spare generator itself. On the islands with chronic diseases (such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes), power outages make citizens fight for their lives, especially when they rely on drugs that need refrigerated and electricity that need electricity.
The power outage also significantly limited the clean water and air conditioners that survived in the Tropical Reoro climate in Puerto. Disease -related diseases soared in the long -term power outage process, causing the most vulnerable people in Puerto Rico to be in danger. Recent studies have found that the dependence of diesel generators has increased its respiratory diseases such as asthma.
Schools without reliable electricity work hard to provide a stable learning environment, leading to an increase in academic setbacks and students' despair. In turn, parents are facing increasing pressure when trying to maintain routine and support their families. For the elderly and people with mental health, the unpredictable power outage exacerbates the feeling of isolation and helplessness, causing dangerous symptoms to deteriorate.
In fact, each power outage is a re -publication: a fearful reminder vulnerability and instability. This is the secret of disaster for islands with limited medical resources. These hidden health crisis will only deepen the will, which will cause the generation cycle of bad health results.
Puerto Rico needs a flexible and sustainable energy system to get rid of this cycle. Solar energy provides an opportunity to help Puerto Rico get rid of darkness. The EPA report in 2024 estimates that solar infrastructure may save as much as $ 350 million for Puerto Rico's most vulnerable family. Community solar projects (community sharing resources) have shown success in towns like Adjuntas, which clarifies the possibility of stability and prosperity of the Puerto Ricans.
In order to truly illuminate the future of Puerto Rico, the US government must give priority to modernization of the grid using the infrastructure that uses climate toughness. Although the Bayeon government continues to implement sustainable solar energy, the results are limited. The Trump administration seems to be withdrawn any progress in the island's sustainable infrastructure, thereby effectively eliminating solar and wind energy from the definition of its energy. In addition, Trump's recent execution order aims to cancel Biden's efforts to return to fossil fuels for sustainable renewable energy. Puerto Rico cannot maintain it in the dark policy. The Trump administration must participate and strengthen the major positive impact of solar energy on Puerto Rico's financial and social well -being.
At the same time, the Puerto Government must be responsible for its practices and failures. Although the Puerto Rico Bureau has established Luma's performance standards to win incentives, it has not established or implemented fines for unqualified practices. Since Hurricane Phota in 2022, Puerto Rico has experienced about 232 interruptions under the leadership of Luma, reflecting the company's powerless unpopular. The Puerto Rico Government and the Puerto Rico Energy Agency must provide higher services and performance on Luma, and the tangible impact on the situation where billions of dollars fail to fulfill their promises.
To be sure, it is multi -faceted to provide stable and elastic energy to improve the quality of life of Puerto Rico and take time. Like my parents and grandfather, members of the community have made great progress in stable Puerto Rico through cooperation. However, the spirit of the Puerto Ricans alone cannot bear the unreliable energy grid.
Eliminate power outages is not just to keep the lighting; it will flip the pain cycle of Puerto Rico.
Gabriel Cartagena is a bilingual clinical psychologist, assistant professor and leader at Yale and Smith Cancer Hospital at Yale University. He is also a public voice researcher in the column project.
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